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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT 


CHAPEL  HILL 


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THE 


YULE    LOG 


A  SERIES  OF  STORIES 


FOE   THE    YOUNG 


NEW  YORK: 

STANFORD  &  DELISSER,  508  BROADWAY. 
1859. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  Year  1858,  by 

STANFORD  AND  DELISSER, 

In  the   Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United 

States  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  was  an  old  custom,  and  one  that  still  holds 
in  many  parts  of  England,  to  cut  and  dry,  in 
order  for  burning,  an  enormous  log,  or  "  clog," 
as  it  was  anciently  called;  the  trunk  or  root  of 
a  very  large  tree  was  generally  used,  which  on 
"  Merrie "  Christmas  Eve  was  paraded  into  the 
house,  the  father  bearing  it  in  his  arms,  and  his 
family  marching  after  to  the  sound  of  music. 
It  was  then  introduced  into  the  great  kitchen 
fire-place,  and  having  lighted  it  with  a  brand 
which  had  been  carefully  preserved  from  the 
last  year's  clog,  the  household  drew  about  the 
cheerful  fire,  and  inspired  by  its  warmth,  and 
deep  draughts  of  nut-brown  ale,  "  the  song  and 
tale  went  round."     Many  such  a  Christmas  Eve 


iv  INTRODUCTION. 

have  I  sat  and  listened  to  the  talcs  so  marvelous 
and  strange;  and  now,  far  away  from  those 
bygone  scenes,  I  have  striven  to  snatch  from 
the  decaying  embers  of  memory,  a  little  brand 
to  light  for  my  youthful  readers  a  new  "  Yule 
Clog "  for  the  coming  Christmas  season. 

G.  M.  B. 

Golden  Hill,         ) 
November,  1858.  f 


CONTENTS. 


The  Boy  and  his  Silver  "Wings V 

The  Sparrow  and  the  Fairy 17 

The  Princess  and  the  Rose 28 

The  Beauty  in  the  Mist; 39 

The  Kich  Persian  and  the  Statue 55 

The  Rose  and  the  Lily 1Q 

The  Golden  Cloak 86 

The  "Wonderful  Bird.;. Ill 

The  Mermaid  and  her  Child 133 


THE  YULE  LOG. 


I  THE  BOY  AND  HIS  SILYEE  WINGS. 

A  little  boy  used  to  sit  and  gaze  at  the 
stars,  and  wonder  and  wonder.  One  in  partic- 
ular caught  his  attention ;  it  was  full  and  round, 
and  shone  with  a  clear,  steady  light.  One 
summer  evening  as  he  sat  in  the  balcony,  he 
saw  it  rise  above  the  horizon,  and  then  gradu- 
ally go  up  higher  and  higher.  He  was  so  full 
of  thought,  and  so  intent  watching  it,  that  he 
forgot  everything  about  him,  till  his  mother 
came  to  him,  put  her  hand  on  his  shoulder, 
and  told  him  it  was  bed-time. 

After  he  had  gone  to  bed,  he  dreamed  of  his 
star,  and  presently  awakening,  his  mind  was  so 
full  of  it,  that  he  would  steal  out  softly,  while 
all  in  the  house  were  asleep,  and  see  what  had 


8  THE  YULE  LOG. 

become  of  it.  When  lie  readied  the  balcony 
he  could  not  at  first  find  it,  as  it  had  changed 
its  place  while  he  had  been  slumbering,  but  on 
looking  directly  overhead,  there  it  was  shining 
down  upon  him,  and  as  he  looked  steadily  at 
it,  he  thought  that  it  seemed  almost  to  smile 
at  him,  and  twinkle  more  and  more.  By  and 
by  he  remembered  he  had  heard  that  the  stars 
were  worlds  like  our  own,  and  that  there  were, 
most  likely,  inhabitants  in  them.  He  then  won- 
dered if  the  people  were  like  his  father  and 
mother  and  himself;  and  a  longing  came  into 
his  heart  to  go  to  the  star  and  learn  all  about  it, 
and  he  stretched  out  his  arms  to  it  and  cried 
aloud,  "  My  own  beautiful  star,  shall  I  ever  be 
ready  to  read  you  and  to  know  all  your  glories  ? " 

While  he  was  still  yearning  and  crying,  a 
bright  angel  stood  before  him  and  cried,  "  Poor 
boy,  why  do  you  weep?"  The  boy  answered, 
"  Because  I  am  bound  down  to  the  earth,  and 
can  never  go  to  yonder  shining  star  that  seems 
to  be  calling  me." 

The  angel  said,  "  Do  you  really  then  so  de- 
sire to  see  it  % "  and  the  bov  told  her  how  he 


THE  BOY  AND  HIS  SILVER  WINGS.  9 

liad  been  wishing  and  wishing  for  it.  "  Then," 
said  the  angel,  "  I  will  give  you  this  pair  of 
wings,  by  which  you  may  fly  upward  to  the 
star ;"  and  as  she  spoke  she  fastened  a  pair  of 
silver  wings  upon  his  shoulders,  and  having 
instructed  him  how  to  use  them,  added,  "  As 
long  as  these  are  kept  brightly  polished,  they 
will  bear  you  upward  whenever  you  may  desire 
it,  but  if  suffered  to  grow  dull  and  to  get  tar- 
nished, they  will  no  longer  avail  you." 

The  boy  thanked  her,  and  felt  sure  that  he 
never  should  neglect  to  keep  the  angel's  gift, 
which  was  to  be  the  source  of  so  much  happi- 
ness to  him,  bright  and  shining  as  now.  She 
then  left  him.  Again  looking  at  the  star,  and 
spreading  forth  his  wings,  as  directed,  he  began 
gently  to  arise,  fluttering  and  tumbling  like  a 
young  bird  taking  its  first  flight ;  but  gaining 
boldness  as  he  ascended,  he  breathed  freer,  till 
at  last  he  soared  far,  far  on  high,  to  the  star, 
the  beacon  towards  which  he  was  directing  his 
course;  his  bosom  swelled  triumphantly,  and 
looking  back,  he  saw  the  earth  receding  like  a 
dull  spark  beneath  him.     O,  how  unlike  the 


10  THE  YULE  LOG. 

glorious  light  "before  him!  When  at  last  he 
reached  the  golden  gates,  where  stood  the  angel 
waiting  to  receive  him,  his  eyes  were  so  dazzled 
with  the  brightness  that  burst  upon  him,  when 
first  he  entered,  he  could  no  longer  perceive 
anything  around  him,  but  was,  for  a  time,  as 
one  blind.  Soon,  however,  regaining  his  vision, 
he  began  to  descry  beings  unlike  those  that  he 
had  ever  seen  before,  almost  transparent,  with 
wings  of  golden  gauze,  sweeping  hither  and 
thither;  forward  bending  their  pinions,  the} 
skimmed  along  like  beams  of  light — myriads 
upon  myriads  passing  to  and  fro,  some  bearing 
harps,  from  whose  strings  such  notes  arose  as 
mortal  ne'er  has  heard.  Unlike  the  toiling 
inhabitants  of  earth,  these  beings  knew  no 
labor,  no  hunger,  no  thirst — all  was  life,  free- 
dom, and  enjoyment.  The  boy's  soul  was 
stirred  within  him ;  he  could  have  shouted 
aloud  for  joy  and  gladness. 

But  now  the  an^el  told  him  that  he  must 
return  to  earth.  At  this  intelligence  the  boy's 
heart  grew  sad,  and  he  exclaimed,  "  Bright 
angel,  let  me  ever  remain  here — let  this  be 


THE  BOY  AND  HIS  SILVER  WINGS.  11 

forever  more  my  home  I  "  To  this  the  angel 
replied,  "Your  time  on  earth  is  appointed — 
you  must  fulfill  your  days, — but  while  you  still 
keep  these  wings  bright,  you  can  be  permitted 
such  glimpses  of  this  world  above  you  as  may 
refresh  your  weary  heart,  and  when  the  time 
for  your  sojourn  beneath  is  ended,  this  higher 
sphere  may  be  your  eternal  home." 

The  angel  attended  him  through  the  golden 
portals,  —  descended  with  him  to  the  earth 
again,  and  alighted  upon  the  same  spot  from 
whence  he  had  arisen. 

The  boy  sat  himself  to  work  after  the  angel 
had  left  him,  to  erase  from  his  wings  every 
dull  speck  that  the  dampness  of  the  night  had 
left  upon  them ;  and  presently,  when  polished 
as  a  mirror,  and  he  had  laid  them  carefully 
away,  he  retired  to  rest  again  and  slept  till  the 
morning  dawned.  When  he  had  arisen  and 
looked  forth,  the  scene  which  used  to  be  so 
dazzling,  now  looked  dull  and  blank  to  him, 
in  comparison  with  the  light  of  his  beloved 
star.  All  day  long  his  thoughts  were  there, 
and  when  night  came  again,  he  was  once  more 


12  THE  YULE  LOG. 

trying  liis  new-found  wings  toward  the  heavens. 
Every  successive  flight  became  easier  and  more 
delightful  to  him,  and  the  fleet  moments  spent 
among  those  superior  beings  became  of  far 
more  consequence  than  whole  days  with  his 
earthly  friends.  Though  short  his  visits  there, 
he  became,  as  it  were,  like  those  glorious 
beings — and  it  was  remarked  by  all,  that  the 
child's  face  shone  with  an  unearthly  light, 
though  none  knew  of  his  flights  to  the  star 
above,  or  the  secret  of  his  silver  wings. 

O  !  had  this  childlike  obedience  to  the  injunc- 
tion of  the  angel  continued,  what  happiness 
might  the  boy  have  always  enjoyed!  how 
would  these  nightly  visits  to  the  star  have 
solaced  him  during  the  weary  hours  of  his  pil- 
grimage below!  But  the  demon  of  idleness 
came  at  length,  stealing  in.  With"  diligence 
at  first,  he  polished,  nightly,  the  silver  wings  ; 
but  soon  the  task  became  irksome,  and  was 
performed  less  thoroughly — at  times  omitting 
it  altogether,  till  they  became  each  day  more 
difficult  to  use.  lie  deferred  his  visits,  and 
made  them  less  frequent,  till  one  night,  after 


THE  BOY  AND  HIS  SILVER  WINGS.  13 

having  neglected  Ms  opportunities  for  a  longer 
period  than  ever,  in  attempting  to  rise  with 
them,  he  found  that  they  had  entirely  lost  their 
power.  On  taking  them  off  to  see  the  canse 
of  his  failure,  he  beheld  the  once  shining  wings 
of  silver  so  tarnished,  that  not  one  bright  spot 
in  them  was  visible.  A  burst  of  grief  followed 
this  discovery,  and  he  cried  again  to  the  angel 
to  come  to  him  in  his  distress ;  but  finding  no 
answer  to  his  petition  he  laid  them  aside  and 
endeavored  to  forget  all  about  them. 

The  boy  became  a  man.  In  the  lonely  night, 
sometimes,  the  visions  of  his  boyhood,  and  his 
visits  to  the  star,  would  present  themselves  to 
his  memory,  and  he  would  have  a  momentary 
longing  for  the  brightness  of  those  clays,  but  as 
soon  would  he  dismiss  them,  and  even  doubt 
that  he  had  ever  known  such  hours  of  bliss. 
He  would  say,  "  The  silver  wings  were  never 
mine — it  was  a  fantasy  of  a  diseased  fancy,  born 
of  ignorance  and  superstition,  which  the  light 
of  the  sun  of  manhood  has  dissipated ; "  and 
then  he  would  weave  in  his  fertile  brain  plans 
for  an  earthly  future,  more  suiting  the  changed 


14  THE  YULE  LOG. 

state  of  his  soul   than  the  revelations  of  his 
youth. 

He  passed  the  summer  of  his  manhood,  and 
in  the  autumn,  crowned  with  success,  he  looked 
for  the  peace  that  never  came.     lie  found  that 
in  every  rose  of  earth  is  hid  a  thorn,  and  when 
the  winter  of  age  advanced  toward  him,  it  found 
him  a  poor  old  man,  seeking  again  the  home 
of  his  boyhood ;  and  there,  with  his  grandchil- 
dren about  him,  looking  forward  to  a  termina- 
tion and  a  transit  from  the  present  scene.  And 
now,  as  the  second  childhood  came  upon  him, 
his  old  habits  grew ;  and  one  of  them,  gazing 
and  longing  for  that  one  bright  star,  resumed 
its  old  force,  so  that  night  after  night  he  would 
be  found  with  his  eyes  upturned ;  but  the  tears 
would  dim  them,  when  he  thought  of  the  days, 
when,  at  his  pleasure,  he  could  have  reached 
its  golden  gates ;  but  now  he  was  shut  out,  and 
each  day  he  grew  sadder  and  sadder  as  he  con- 
'  templatecl  its  undimmeel  splendor. 

One  day  his  grandchild  ran  to  him  and  cried, 
"  O !  grandpa,  see  what  1  have  found,  while 
searching   among  the   lumber   in  the  attic ! " 


THE  BOY  AND  HIS  SILVER  WINGS.  15 

The  old  man  took  from  the  hands  of  the  won- 
dering boy,  a  little  pair  of  black  and  tarnished 
wings ;  he  knew  at  once  the  angel's  gift  to  his 
boyhood,  and  the  tears  flowed  down  his  fur- 
rowed cheeks.  He  took  the  child  on  his  knee, 
and  told  him  all  about  the  bright  star,  the 
angel,  and  the  silver  wings,  which  his  careless 
idleness  had  suffered  to  grow  dim  till  they  lost 
forever  their  power.  The  child  heard  and 
believed — wept,  as  his  grandsire  wept — and 
after  the  tale  had  ceased,  he  paused  awhile — 
yet  presently  exclaimed,  "  But  can  these  wings 
never  again  be  made  as  bright !  O  let  us  try 
together,  and  see  if  they  may  not  shine  as 
before ! " 

A  bright  change  came  upon  the  face  of  the 
old  man,  and  with  his  trembling  hands,  assisted 
by  those  of  the  child,  (both  feeble,  yet  both 
untiring,)  commenced  the  work.  Yery  slow, 
indeed  was  the  progress  they  made  in  remov- 
ing the  rust  that  years  had  accumulated ;  but 
at  length,  by  little  and  little,  the  pale  silver 
shone  amid  the  blackness,  till  one  night,  after 
long  and  patient  labor,  the  child,  with  joyous 


16  THE  YULE  LOa. 

slionts  and  gladness,  and  the  old  man  with  a 
calm,  placid  smile  amid  his  tears,  announced 
that  "  the  work  was  completed."  Calmly  he 
folded  and  laid  away  the  polished  wings,  but 
at  midnight,  when  the  child  and  all  the  house- 
hold were  hushed  and  silent,  the  tottering  old 
man  stood  in  the  place,  (with  his  silver  wings,) 
where  years  before  he  had  stood,  with  his  eyes 
now,  as  then,  raised  to  the  star ;  he  stretched 
his  arms  toward  it  and  mounted  up,  till  on  en- 
tering the  golden  gates,  they  closed  behind 
him.    The  star  was  his  resting-place  forever. 


THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  FAIRY.  It 


II. 

THE  SPAKKOW  AND  THE  FAIKY. 

A  fairy  once  stood  by  the  sea-shore,  watch- 
ing the  foam,  as  it  dashed  upon  the  beach, 
when  an  ocean  bird  caught  her  up  in  its  beak, 
and  flew  with  her  far  away  over  the  waters. 
They  came,  at  last,  directly  above  the  deck  of 
a  vessel,  and  one  of  the  mariners,  seeing  a 
black  speck  in  the  sky,  discharged  a  musket, 
which  so  frightened  the  bird,  it  let  the  fairy 
drop  down  on  the  ship,  but  while  she  was  fall- 
ing, she  had  the  precaution  to  take  the  form 
of  a  sparrow  to  conceal  herself.  The  sailors 
gathered  round,  and  wondered  to  see  a  sparrow, 
so  far  away  from  the  land,  and  one  of  them 
was  going  to  fling  it  overboard,  when  a  little 
cabin-boy  ran  forward,  and  begged  that  it 
might  be  given  to  him,  which  was  done,  and 
he  ran  with  the  panting  trembling  thing  into 


18  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  store-room,  where,  amid  the  boxes  and 
hampers  of  provisions,  he  made  his  poor  bed, 
of  straw  and  a  blanket.  He  found  an  empty 
orange-box,  placed  a  little  nest  of  wool  in  the 
corner,  in  which  he  put  the  sparrow,  and  then 
went  out  again  to  his  work ;  but  came  in  often 
during  the  day,  to  see  how  it  was  getting  along. 
At  night  he  drew  it  up  to  his  own  bed,  and 
was  just  going  to  sleep,  when  out  of  the  box 
sprang  the  prettiest  lady  in  green,  about  six 
inches  high,  that  you  ever  saw  in  your  life. 
The  boy  got  up,  and  opened  his  eyes  in  wonder, 
and  she  came  and  sat  down  on  his  bed  by  him. 
He  then  looked  into  his  box,  and  missing  his 
sparrow,  burst  into  tears.  When  she  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter ;  he  told  her  that  he 
cried  because  his  sparrow  was  gone,  and  in  a 
twinkling,  the  little  lady  had  vanished,  and 
the  sparrow  was  in  its  nest,  as  snug  and  warm 
as  before.  The  next  day,  every  chance  he 
could  get,  he  would  be  running  in  to  look  at 
his  sparrow,  and  when  night  came  again,  and 
the  door  was  fastened,  out  jumped  the  little 
lady  in  green,  who  came  and  played  nice  little 


THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  EAIRY.  19 

games  with  him,  and  told  him  wonderful  stories, ' 
and  so  fond  did  he  grow  of  her,  he  did  not 
mind  that  the  sparrow  disappeared,  as  soon  as 
the  little  green  lady  came. 

He  used  so  often  to  run  into  his  room,  to 
talk  with  her,  that  it  began  to  be  remarked  by 
the  sailors ;  that  the  boy  who  was  always  before 
on  deck,  was  now  moping  down  in  the  cabin, 
by  himself,  and  they  resolved  "to  watch  him, 
and  see  what  he  did  there.  So  one  of  them 
stood  by  the  door,  when  he  entered,  and  when 
it  was  shut,  he  thought  he  heard  voices  talking, 
and,  peeping  through  the  keyhole,  saw  a  little 
green  lady,  dancing  over  the  boxes  as  light  as 
a  feather.  He  told  this  to  the  others,  and  they 
determined  to  find  out  the  truth,  so  they  burst 
open  the  door  suddenly,  and  went  in;  but 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  the  lady  in  green, 
or  anything  else,  but  the  boxes,  the  little  boy, 
and  the  sparrow  in  his  warm  nest;  so  after 
speaking  roughly  to  the  little  fellow,  &11  the 
sailors  went  out,  no  wiser  than  they  came  in. 
But  from  this  time,  his  mates  began  to  look 
upon  him  with  distrust  and  suspicion  :  though 


20  THE  YULE  LOG. 

before  a  favorite,  lie  came  to  be  much,  disliked 
by  them,  and  they  were  very  unkind  to  him ; 
but  the  boy  did  not  mind  it,  so  long  as  he  had 
such  a  good  friend  as  the  fairy. 

But  one  night  as  a  dreadful  storm  arose,  so 
that  they  could  no  longer  guide  the  vessel, 
they  all  declared  the  boy  was  the  cause  of  their 
trouble — that  he  dealt  in  witchcraft,  and  must 
be  thrown  overboard,  or  the  ship  and  all  in  it 
would  sink.  Notwithstanding  that  he  begged 
them,  with  the  tears  pouring  down  his  cheeks, 
to  spare  him,  they  were  so  hard-hearted  as  to 
pay  no  attention  to  his  beseeching  tones,  and 
when  he  found  that  they  were  in  earnest,  he 
only  asked  them  to  let  him  go  into  his  berth, 
for  a  few  minutes,  to  say  his  prayers ;  to  which 
they  consented.  He  then  took  his  sparrow, 
and  put  it  in  his  bosom,  that  it  might  not  be 
ill-treated  after  he  had  gone,  and  went  out  to 
them.  A  great  rough  sailor  instantly  seized 
him,  and  flung  him  with  a  whirl,  over  the  side 
of  the  vessel.  For  a  moment  he  hung  above 
the  glittering  waves,  that  dashed,  and  foamed, 
and  yawned,  as  if  to  swallow  him  alive,  then 


THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  FAIRY.  21 

lie  shut  his  eyes,  and  felt  the  cold  waters  rush 
and  close  over  his  head,  and  down,  down,  into 
the  darkness,  he  kept  sinking,  sinking,  till  he 
heard  the  sea-monsters  dash  past  him,  and  ex- 
pected every  moment  to  be  devoured  by  them ; 
but  no,  he  escaped  them  all,  and  kept  on  fall- 
ing, down,  down.  At  last,  he  seemed  to  slip  out 
of  the  waters,  as  it  were,  into  clouds,  and  then 
into  clear  air,  and  hung  a  moment  suspended 
in  the  sky,  till  he  came  plump  on  to  the  very 
softest  and  greenest  turf,  which  yielded  beneath 
him  like  a  bed.  He  was  not  at  all  hurt,  and 
getting  up  looked  around  bewildered,  till  feel- 
ing something  stir  in  his  bosom,  he  opened  his 
vest,  and  out  hopped  the  little  green  lady,  and 
stood  before  him. 

"  Now,"  said  she,  "  I  can  repay  you  for  all 
your  care  of  me.  I  am  a  fairy,  and  this  is  one 
of  my  homes,  and  I  can  show  you  in  a  moment 
many  of  my  kindred."  So  saying,  she  blew  a 
little  bugle  at  her  side,  and  many  like  herself 
began  to  flock  about,  and  welcome  her  to  her 
home.  She  gave  command  to  them  to  bring 
some  food,  and  directly  these  busy  little  people 


22  THE  YULE  LOG. 

went  to  work,  and  spread  on  a  little  rocky- 
table,  the  snowiest  of  cloths  and  the  most  deli- 
cious repast.  After  his  hunger  had  been  satis- 
fied, the  fairy  pointed  to  the  sky,  and  said: 
"Above  those  clouds,  lies  the  sea,  through 
which  you  have  just  now  passed ;  this  is  what 
you  call  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  where  dwell 
mermaids,  sea-nymphs,  and  fairies.  The  boy 
looked  up,  and  wondered  what  prevented  the 
ocean  from  coming  down  upon  his  head,  and 
then  reasoned  to  himself  if  that  was  not  also  a 
great  sea,  which  he  had  called  the  sky  over  his 
mother's  cottage,  and  if  that  was  not  where  all 
the  rain  came  from?  But  he  did  not  think 
long  about  this,  for  the  fairy  had  such  sights 
to  show  him,  as  he  had  never  even  dreamed 
of  before,  the  houses  were  formed  of  coral,  and 
pearls,  and  instead  of  glass,  the  windows  had 
large  slabs  of  pure  diamond,  to  admit  the  light; 
the  very  pebbles  under  his  feet  were  the  most 
costly  jewels,  and  the  sun  shining  on  them, 
dazzled  his  eyes,  so  that  he  could  scarcely  see. 
The  fairy  had  a  splendid  mansion  constructed 
for  the  boy,  and  a  chariot,  made  of  shells,  and 


THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  FAIRY.  23 

little  fairy  horses,  so  small  that  it  took  six  01 
them  to  draw  him.  He  had  servants  to  wait 
on  him,  his  table  was  supplied  every  day,  with 
the  most  luscious  fruits ;  he  heard  the  sweetest 
music,  and  the  fairy  herself  used  to  spend  the 
most  of  her  time  with  him,  yet  she  noticed  that 
he  was  often  silent  and  sad.  One  day  she 
found  him  weeping,  and  begged  him  to  tell  her 
the  cause  of  his  grief, — if  there  was  anything 
yet  wanting  to  complete  his  happiness  ?  The 
boy  dried  his  tears,  and  answered  her.  "  Dear 
little  lady,  I  have  everything  that  heart  can 
desire  ;  fairies  to  wait  on  me,  and  anticipate  my 
wishes  ;  nothing  to  do  but  to  amuse  myself  from 
morn  till  eve  ;  but  when  I  am  enjoying  all  these 
things,  my  heart  goes  back  to  my  poor  widowed 
mother,  who  used  to  be  always  toiling  for  me, 
and  I  think  that  perhaps  she  is  even  now  sick, 
or  starving,  for  want  of  proper  food;  while  I 
am  idling  here,  she  may  be  wearing  herself 
out,  in  laboring  for  the  support  of  my  dear  little 
brother,  whom  I  long  to  see  again ;  and  even 
if  she  has  been  provided  with  the  necessaries 
of  life,  I  am  sure  that  her  heart  is  sad,  for  she 


24  THE  YULE  LOG. 

most  likely  thinks  that  I  am  drowned  in  the 
ocean,  and  that  I  shall  never  again  return  to 
her.  Do  not  then  be  astonished,  if  in  the  midst 
of  all  this  beauty,  and  my  good  fortune,  I  am 
sad  and  weep." 

The  fairy  answered  him :  "  You  are  a  good 
child,  not  to  forget  your  poor  mother,  and 
though  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  remain 
with  me  forever,  yet  I  can  well  see,  that  you 
would  be  happier  to  be  with  her  and  your  little 
brother.  Stay  here  at  least  a  year,  and  then 
I  will  find  means  to  send  you  to  her." 

"  Oh !  thank  you,"  cried  the  boy ;  "  but  my 
dear  little  lady,  if  you  can  send  me  home  a 
year  hence,  you  must  be  able  to  send  me  now ; 
who  knows  but  my  mother  may  die  of  grief  or 
of  starvation  long  before  that.  Oh  !  if  it  is  not 
asking  too  much,  let  me  go  at  once." 

The  fairy  then  looked  very  sad,  and  told  the 
boy  that  after  his  return  to  earth  and  his  mother 
she  would  never  again  be  able  to  reveal  herself 
to  him  in  her  own  proper  shape,  or  make  her- 
self known  to  him.  The  boy  was  sad  to  learn  this, 
yet  still  he  begged  to  go  to  his  dear  mother. 


TIIE  SWALLOW  AND  THE  FAIRY.  25 

Then  the  fairy,  though  so  sorry  to  part  with 
him,  told  him  that  he  should  see  his  home  that 
very  night ;  and  accordingly,  when  evening 
came,  the  fairy  and  himself  were  taken  in  the 
arms  of  a  mermaid,  and  carried  up  through  the 
sea,  till  they  rose  upon  the  surface,  and  he  saw 
the  stars  and  the  blue  sky  above,  and  knew 
that  they  were  the  same  stars  and  sky  that 
shone  over  his  mother's  cottage.  Soon  they 
reached  the  land,  and  the  mermaid  left  them 
upon  the  shore;  and  the  fairy,* beckoning  to  a 
swan  that  was  in  sight,  mounted  with  the  boy 
on  its  back,  as  it  stood  by  her  side.  She  and  the 
little  boy  rose  high  up  in  the  air,  and  were 
borne  swiftly  over  towns,  cities,  mountains, 
rivers  and  vallies.  At  last,  as  the  shades  of  night 
were  passing  away,  and  morn  began  to  break, 
the  scenes  became  more  familiar  to  him,  till  the 
fairy,  pointing  beneath  them,  showed  him  the 
woods,  and  the  hills,  amid  which  he  knew  was 
his  own  little  home.  At  her  signal,  the  swan 
gently  descended,  and  the  boy's  heart  bounded 
lightly,  as  he  felt  his  feet  once  more  rest  upon 
the  firm  ground,  and  looked  around  on  a  scene 


26  THE  YULE  LOG. 

so  familiar  and  so  dear ;  but  his  gladness  left 
him  when  the  fairy  said :  "  We  must  here  part. 
Never  again  shall  I  be  permitted  to  reveal  my- 
self to  you ;  but  nightly,  though  unseen  by  you, 
I  shall  visit  this  spot ;  when  all  goes  well  with 
you  and  your  mother,  and  everything  prospers 
to  your  wishes,  think  that  the  fairy  has  been 
here,  and  at  work." 

Before  the  boy  could  speak  to  her,  she  gently 
kissed  him,  at  bidding  him  adieu,  mounted 
again  on  the  back  of  the  swan,  high  in  the  air, 
and  waving  farewell  with  her  hand,  as  she 
was  lost  in  the  distant  cloud,  the  boy  saw  her 
no  more. 

He  stood  gazing  forgetfully  after  she  had 
disappeared,  and  then  remembering  himself, 
hastened  on  to  the  cottage.  The  blue  smoke 
was  struggling  up  the  chimney,  and  he  knew 
that  the  morning  fire  was  kindled.  The  old 
brindled  cow  stood  before  the  door,  and  his 
mother,  with  the  milk-pail  in  her  hand,  and 
her  little  child  toddling  beside  her,  came  forth, 
without  seeing  him,  and  began  to  seat  herself 
to  milk ;  the  little  boy,  however,  espied  him, 


THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  FAIRY.  27 

and  cried  out,  "  Oh,  brother  !  brother  !"  The 
mother  started  up,  and  seeing  the  well-known 
features  of  her  son,  burst  into  tears,  as  she 
clasped  him  to  her  heart.  He  was  as  one  re- 
stored from  the  dead,  for  the  wicked  crew  who 
had  returned  home  from  the  ship,  reported  that 
he  had  fallen  overboard  and  was  drowned ;  but 
her  joy  was  now  full,  when  she  found  that  he 
was  never  going  to  leave  her  again. 

During  the  winter  nights  as  they  sat  by  the 
fireside,  he  used  to  tell  her  and  his  little  brother 
all  about  the  good  fairy,  and  the  wonders  that 
he  had  seen ;  and  when  the  harvest  came,  and 
they  gathered  in  a  full  crop  of  corn  and  fruit, 
(their  neighbors'  crops  had  all  been  blighted,) 
he  used  to  say  to  his  mother,  "The  fairy  has 
surely  been  here."  And  as  everything  worked 
to  their  advantage,  and  they  were  well  provided, 
for,  they  never  forgot  her  or  her  promise  to 
him. 


28  THE  YULE  LOG. 


III. 

THE  PKINCESS  AND  THE  EOSE. 

On  a  green  island  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  that 
has  never  been  put  down  on  any  map,  lived  a 
king  called  Obezon,  who  married  a  very  beau- 
tiful woman,  the  queen  of  a  country  ]ying  away 
to  the  northward.  She  was  attended  when  she 
came  from  her  home  by  a  nurse,  who  was  a 
fairy.  The  warm  climate  did  not  agree  with 
her,  and  she  died  shortly  after,  leaving  a  daugh- 
ter in  the  care  of  the  fairy,  of  whom,  at  her 
birth,  it  was  foretold  that  she  should  live  only 
till  she  was  separated  from  her  first  love.  She 
was  very  fair,  with  golden  curls,  eyes  of  azure, 
and  delicate  rose-tinted  cheeks.  The  fairy 
nursed  her  faithfully,  and  never  trusted  her  out 
of  her  sight,  for  she,  as  well  as  Obezon,  was 
ambitious  that  Gulna  should  make  a  splendid 
match ;  and  remembering  the  prophecy  that  she 


THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE  ROSE.  29 

would  die  if  separated  from  her  first  love,  they 
kept  her'  very  strictly  out  of  the  way  of  all  the 
youth,  the  sons  of  the  petty  princes  near  them, 
to  whom  a  young  maiden  would  be  likely  to 
give  her  heart.  But  the  fame  of  her  beauty 
had  so  gone  abroad,  many  of  them  sought  the 
island  in  disguise,  on  purpose  to  see  her  and 
win  her  love ;  but  none  of  them  were  able  to 
escape  the  vigilance  of  Obezon  and  the  fairy. 
So  Gulna  had  reached  her  seventeenth  year 
with  her  heart  untouched,  and  spent  her  hours 
in  roaming  with  the  fairy  about  the  island. 

ISTow  there  was  in  the  employ  of  Obezon  a 
poor  boy,  who  tended  the  sheep.  He  wandered 
every  day  with  his  flock  over  the  meadows, 
and  played  sweet  little  tunes  upon  pipes  made 
of  the  hollow  reeds.  He  was  so  modest,  he 
hardly  ever  raised  his  head,  and  had  never 
seen  the  beautiful  countenance  of  the  Princess, 
although  they  encountered  each  other  daily; 
nor  had  she  noticed  the  young  lad,  who,  too 
humble  to  cause  the  fairy  any  misgivings,  was 
permitted  to  come  before  her.  One  day  a 
favorite  lamb  had  broken  its  leg,  and  the  fairy, 


30  THE  YULE  LOG. 

who  was  setting  it,  summoned  the  boy  to  her 
assistance,  while  Gulna  held  it  in  her  arms, 
and,  bending  together  over  the  little  moaning 
thing,  their  eyes  met,  and  he  never  after  forgot 
the  sweet  glance  of  the  Princess,  nor  she  the 
dark,  flashing  orbs  of  the  shepherd-boy.  Day 
after  day  they  met  each  other,  and  though  no 
word  had  been  spoken,  they  contrived  by  looks 
and  glances  to  become  better  acquainted,  till 
they  at  last  interchanged  a  few  words,  and 
planned  a  stolen  interview  at  night,  when  all 
the  household  was  at  rest,  in  a  little  grove  not 
far  away.  They  succeeded  in  deceiving  the 
fairy  while  she  was  sleeping  soundly,  and 
thought  that  the  Princess  was  likewise  revel- 
ling in  golden  dreams  beside  her.  This  con- 
tinued for  a  long  while  without  discovery,  and 
Gulna  and  Azor  grew  more  and  more  attached 
to  each  other,  and  swore  eternal  fidelity.  One 
night  the  fairy  awoke,  and  feeling  the  cool 
breeze  blow  upon  her  (for  Gulna  had  forgotten 
to  close  the  window  through  which  she  had 
stolen  out,  as  she  had  always  done  before),  she 
she  started  up  in  affright.      The   moon  was 


THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE  ROSE.  31 

shining  through  the  open  shutters,  and  showed 
the  bed  of  the  Princess  without  an  occupant. 
"  Surely  the  Princess  had  been  stolen  away." 
She  dared  not  alarm  Obezon.  She  flung  her- 
self from  the  window,  in  hopes  of  finding  some 
traces  to  aid  her  in  her  search,  but  could  find 
not  even  a  footstep.  On  passing  the  little  grove 
at  the  foot  of  the  garden,  with  the  fountain  be- 
side it,  she  heard  a  sound  of  voices  mingling 
with  the  falling  waters,  and,  stealing  up  softly, 
what  was  her  dismay  at  there  beholding  Gulna 
and  Azor  together,  she  seated  on  a  mound  of 
turf,  and  he  kneeling  at  her  side,  placing  a 
white  rose  in  her  belt ;  and  oh !  horrors !  Gulna 
threw  her  white  arms  round  his  neck,  and  said, 
"  You  are,  indeed,  my  first  love,  from  whom  I 
cannot  be  separated  till  death."  But  they  were 
startled  from  this  loving  embrace  by  the  fairy, 
who  in  a  fury  stood  before  them.  "Foolish 
maiden,"  cried  she,  fiercely,  "  thus  to  fling  from 
you  rank,  honor,  wealth,  and  all  for  a  miser- 
able little  wretch  like  this ;"  "  and  you,"  said 
she,  turning  white  in  her  anger,  as  she  looked 
at  Azor,  "who  have  had  the  presumption  to 


32  THE  YULE  LOG. 

raise  your  eyes  upon  the  most  beautiful  Prin- 
cess in  the  world,  knowing  that  she  cannot  be 
severed  from  him  whom  she  has  first  loved, 
and  live,  I  can  by  my  power  at  once  punish 
you  for  your  audacity,  and  save  the  Princess 
from  the  consequences  of  her  indiscretion. 
Henceforth  be  invisible,  and  take  for  your 
dwelling-place  this  rose,  which  shall  ever  cling 
to  the  heart  of  the  Princess,  by  which  your 
hand  has  placed  it."  And  touching  him  with 
her  wand,  he  dissolved,  as  it  were,  into  air ; 
but  the  rose  at  Gulna's  side,  which  had  been 
pure  white,  grew  red,  as  if  dyed  by  human 
blood.  Gulna's  grief,  when  she  saw  her  lover 
thus  inthralled,  was  boundless.  Her  tears  and 
entreaties  made  no  impression  on  the  fairy,  or 
Obezon,  when  he  had  learned  the  truth.  Great 
indeed  was  his  rage  when  he  found  what  had 
taken  place ;  and  Gulna  could  only  tremble, 
and  be  silent.  He  heartily  approved  of  the 
summary  manner  in  which  the  fairy  had  dis- 
posed of  poor  Azor,  and  had  got  him  out  of  the 
way  of  the  Princess,  leaving  her  still  free  to 
marry  whom  they  should  choose  for  her. 


THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE  EOSE.         -        33 

She  was  now  allowed  to  go  at  large,  and  the 
King  made  it  known  that  he  was  in  readiness, 
when  a  proper  offer  was  made,  to  betroth  her. 
Suitors  came  from  all  quarters,  but  were,  one 
after  another,  rejected  by  Obezon,  as  not  being 
worthy  of  her,  Gulna  all  the  while  remaining 
quite  insensible  to  all  that  was  taking  place 
around  her,  rarely  raising  her  eyelids ;  her  eyes 
were  ever  fixed  upon  a  deep  red  rose  at  her  side, 
which  never  withered,  but  grew  brighter  in  its 
hue  from  day  to  day.  This  singular  flower  was 
noticed  by  all  who  came  to  visit  the  island,  and 
the  "  blood-red  rose  "  became  as  celebrated  as  the 
b  eautiful  Princess  herself.  Her  lovers  rallied  her 
on  her  attachment  to  it,  but  no  one  was  ever 
allowed  to  take  it  from  her  for  a  moment,  or 
even  to  touch  it.  The  King  and  the  fairy,  who 
were  the  only  ones  who  knew  about  it,  were 
wise  enough  to  keep  their  own  counsel,  so  it 
remained  still  a  mystery  that  none  could  solve. 
After  very  many  suitors  had  been  rejected,  one 
came  at  last,  richer  than  all  the  rest.  He 
brought  the  most  costly  gifts,  and  his  long  train 
of  attendants,  their  waving  plumes,  the  glitter 


34  THE  YULE  LOG. 

ing  chariots  and  prancing  horses,  and  the  re- 
ports that  came  before  him  of  his  wealth,  so 
prejudiced  Obezon  in  his  favor,  he  determined 
that  he  would  bestow  the  hand  of  the  Princess 
upon  this  great  Prince,  if  she  should  please 
him  ;  so  he  caused  Gulna  to  be  dressed  in  her 
robes  of  silver  and  blue,  and  to  be  brought 
before  him.  The  Prince  had  never  before  seen 
one  that  would  in  any  wise  compare  with  her 
in  beauty,  so  he  declared  himself  at  once  her 
suitor,  and  spread  before  her  the  most  costly 
jewels,  and  magnificent  gifts ;  but  these,  and 
the  noble  form  and  countenance  of  the  Prince, 
made  no  impression  upon  the  heart  of  Gulna, 
for  that  was  already  given  to  Azor.  But  her 
father  commanded  her  to  get  herself  in  readi- 
ness to  depart  with  the  Prince,  and  she  dared 
not  disobey.  The  marriage  was  accordingly 
celebrated  with  great  pomp  and  ceremony ;  the 
King  bestowing  upon  her  a  splendid  dower ; 
but  before  this  he  had  taken  the  Prince  aside, 
and  secured  a  promise  from  him  that  he 
would  never  deprive  the  Princess  of  her  rose, 
on  account  of  her  great  attachment  to  it ;  and 


THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE  ROSE.  35 

"  so  much,"  said  he,  "  was  her  heart  upon  it,  if 
he  should  insist  upon  her  giving  it  up,  a  terrible 
calamity  would  happen  to  her."  The  Prince 
thought  it  a  slight  thing  that  a  young  maiden 
be  indulged  in  a  foolish  whim,  and  readily  pro- 
mised that  she  should  not  be  crossed  in  her 
fancy ;  and,  all  things  being  now  in  readiness, 
the  Prince  departed,  with  his  newly- wedded 
Princess,  and  her  fairy  nurse,  to  his  own  do- 
minions. 

When  he  reached  his  kingdom  with  his  bride, 
great  crowds  came  out  to  see  her,  and  all 
praised  her  exceeding  fairness  ;  and  the  Princess 
Gulna's  beauty  became  so  famous  that  many 
Princes  from  neighbouring  States  came  to  con- 
vince themselves  of  the  truth  of  what  was  told, 
and  the  poets  and  minstrels  made  songs  about 
her,  and  the  Prince  thought  himself  at  first  the 
happiest  husband  in  the  world. 

After  all  this  novelty  was  over,  the  Princes 
had  returned  to  their  own  homes,  and  Gulna 
and  himself  were  left  alone  together,  he  began 
to  see  that  her  eyes,  instead  of  looking  into  his 
with  loving  glances,  were  ever  cast  down  upon 


BG  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  rose  at  her  side — that  her  hand,  instead  of 
clasping  his  own,  was  lightly  shielding  it  from 
harm,  and  contact  with  the  rough  air,  or  from 
a  rude  touch  that  might  ruffle  its  leaves.  He 
grew  more  unquiet,  and  his  thoughts  were 
seldom  turned  from  the  rose  and  the  Princess, 
who  seemed  more  and  more  to  cherish  it,  till 
at  last,  mad  with  jealousy,  he  demanded  of  her 
that  she  keep  it  for  ever  from  his  sight,  and 
would  have  torn  it  from  her,  had  not  the  fairy 
interposed,  and  warned  him  of  what  the  King 
had  told  him,  that  a  terrible  calamity  would 
befall  him  if  he  persisted  in  depriving  her  of  it ; 
and  also  that  his  promise  to  the  King  was  bind- 
ing. This  quieted  him  at  first ;  but  the  thorn 
still  rankled  in  his  breast.  The  fairy  now 
wove  for  the  Princess  a  scarf  of  silver,  which, 
hanging  from  her  left  shoulder,  entirely  con- 
cealed the  rose,  and,  being  out  of  his  sight,  the 
Prince  for  awhile  forgot  his  cause  of  jealousy. 
One  day,  going  into  the  apartments  of  the 
Princess  unannounced,  he  found  her  asleep 
upon  a  couch ;  the  zephyr  stole  in  through  the 
lattice,  and  gently  stirred  the  silken  hair  that 


THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE  ROSE.  37 

fell  around ;  her  long  lashes  lay  quiet  upon  her 
transparent  cheek.     He  paused  awhile  in  ad- 
miration, when  a  stronger  breath  of  the  zephyr 
blew   aside   the   scarf,   and  showed  the  rose, 
pressed  beneath  her  snowy  hand.     Like  a  spark 
from  the  lightning,  the  fire  of  jealousy  entered 
his  soul.     In  madness  he  tore  the  rose  from  her 
side  ;  a  red  stream  followed  the  disembedded 
stalk  in  a  swift,  rushing  tide  ;  it  had  rooted  in 
her   heart,  and  the  distracted  Prince  saw  the 
pride  of  his  being,  the  priceless  Gulna,  sink  life- 
less   as  the  fairy  entered,  who  shrieked  forth, 
"  Rash  Prince  !  behold  your  work  !  had  you 
heeded  my  warning,  your  Princess  would  still 
have  been  yours ;  but  here"  (and  touching  the 
rose  with  her  wand,  Azor  stood  before  them), 
"  is  the  secret  of  the  rose  :  this  youth,  and  not 
thyself,  was  the  first  love  of  the  Princess,  from 
whom,  it  was    long   since  foretold,  she  could 
not  be  severed,  unless  by  her  death.     '  Go,'  said 
she  to  Azor,  '  and  be  free  again.' "     But  when 
the  youth  saw  Gulna  lying  in  her  blood  at  his 
feet,  his  own  heart  burst,  and,  as  he  fell  beside 
her,  he  said  with  his  dying  lipi,  "  Even  death 


38  THE  YULE  LOG. 

shall  not  separate  us."  The  generous  Prince 
wept  over  the  unfortunate  lovers  ;  he  caused 
them  to  be  buried  together,  and  erected  a  mag- 
nificent monument  over  them,  on  which  was 
inscribed,  in  letters  of  gold,  "  Let  all  true  lovers 
drop  a  tear  upon  the  grave  of  Gulna  and 
Azor." 


THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  39 


IV. 

THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST. 

Theee  lived  far  away  to  the  westward  a 
king  and  queen,  who  had  seven  daughters. 
Six  of  them  were  the  most  charming  princesses 
in  the  world,  but  the  seventh  and  youngest  was 
so  very  plain,  that  her  friends  were  ashamed 
of  her,  and  kept  her  always  out  of  sight.  The 
poor  thing,  in  comparison  with  her  beautiful 
sisters,  seemed  almost  hideous,  which  she  really 
was  not.  However,  her  skin  was  red  and  very 
coarse,  her  large  gray  eyes  were  lustreless  and 
dull,  and  there  was  no  such  thing  as  training 
her  harsh  black  hair  in  curls,  or  parting  it 
smoothly  on  her  forehead.  Kluma,  for  that 
was  her  name,  would  not  have  cared  so  much 
for  her  lack  of  beauty,  if  it  had  not  been  the 
cause  of  her  sister's  treating  her  very  ill ;  and 
it  really  was  hard  that  Ihey  would  not  even 


40  THti  YULE  LOG. 

allow  her  to  play  with  them,  when  by  them- 
selves, or  to  remain  in  their  company,  because 
she  did  not  look  as  well  as  they — a  misfortune 
that  was  none  of  her  fault,  and  which  she 
would  have  been  far  more  rejoiced  than  they 
to  have  remedied,  if  she  could  have  done  so. 
Her  father  and  mother,  too,  were  so  affected 
by  her  want  of  beauty,  in  their  feelings  and 
conduct  toward  her,  as  to  be  cold  and  neglectful 
of  her  who  never  disobeyed  their  commands, 
and  who  was  ever  ready  to  do  a  kindness  to 
them,  or  to  the  sisters,  who  so  heartily  despised 
her ;  but  the  king  and  queen  were  weak  and 
silly  people,  who  thought  of  little  else  than 
making  a  show  in  the  world,  and  above  all 
things  they  desired  that  their  daughters  might 
make  splendid  matches,  and  gain  by  their  good 
looks,  husbands  among  the  wealthy  princes  of 
the  neighboring  states,  and  thus  increase  their 
own  power  and  importance,  as  well  as  establish 
their  children  according  to  their  liking.  As 
Kluma  grew  older,  she  made  herself  friends  of 
the  inferiors  in  her  father's  palace,  by  being 
generous  and  forbearing  toward  them.      The 


t:te  beauty  IN  THE  MIST.  41 

very  animals  loved  her,  and  she  spent  her  life 
happily  enough,  when  she  was  not  in  the  way 
of  her  parents  and  sisters,  who  never  thought 
of  her,  except  as  of  a  vexation  that  they  could 
not  well  rid  themselves  of,  so  would  try  to  keep 
her  out  of  their  minds  as  much  as  possible. 

Once,  as  the  older  sisters  were  all  at  play  in 
the  park,  and  Kluma  was  hidden  among  the 
bushes,  as  usual,  looking  at  them,  a  little  old 
lady,  very  meanly  dressed,  came  by  that  w7ay. 
She  was  ill-formed,  and  so  lame,  she  w7as  forced 
to  go  upon  crutches.  She  came  hobbling  along 
up  the  path,  and  stumbling,  dropped  first  one 
crutch,  then  the  other.  One  of  the  princesses 
darted  forward,  and  caught  up  the  crutches, 
which  the  poor  old  thing  supposed  she  was 
going  to  present  to  her ;  but  instead,  the  ill- 
mannered  child  ran  off  with  them,  and  began 
mimicking  the  old  lady,  by  limping  and  hob- 
bling around,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the 
other  sisters,  who  followed  her,  shrieking  with 
laughter,  over  a  hill,  out  of  sight.  The  old 
woman  called  after  them  in  piteous  tones,  but 
they  heeded  her  not  in  the  least,  only  mocking 


42  THE  YULE  LOG. 

her  cry ;  when  Kluma,  stealing  forth  from  her 
hiding-place,  and  coming  to  her,  said,  "  Do  not 
cry ;  I  will  find  your  crutches  for  you ;"  and 
before  the  old  woman  could  speak,  darted  off, 
soon  returning  with  the  crutches  in  her  hand, 
having  found  them  just  beyond  the  hill,  where 
her  unfeeling  sister  had  tossed  them.  Kluma 
then  assisted  the  old  woman  to  rise  and  walk, 
the  poor  creature  all  the  while  thanking  her ; 
and  when  they  reached  the  road  together,  and 
Kluma  was  going  back,  she  turned  and  said, 
"  Little  lady,  although  you  are  not  handsome, 
you  are  very  good ;  I  shall  never  forget  your 
kindness  to  me  this  day,  and  though  I  now  look 
so  poor,  I  may  yet  be  able  to  do  you  a  great 
service,  in  return  for  the  good  you  have  done 
me.     Remember." 

She  then  went  on,  leaving  poor  Kluma  half 
laughing  at  the  thought  of  such  a  miserable 
old  woman  as  that  ever  having  it  in  her 
power  to  benefit  a  king's  daughter.  As  Kluma 
grew  older,  her  sisters'  ill-treatment  of  her 
became  more  marked ;  they  made  her  perform 
the   most  menial   offices  for  them,  and   then 


THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  43 

ridiculed  her  awkwardness  and  her  blunders, 
not  heeding  the  pains  that  she  took  to  please 
them.  One  after  another  they  were  sought  in 
marriage  by  grand  princes,  and  left  their  father's 
kingdom  for  that  of  their  husbands,  till  at  last 
five  of  them  had  gone,  and  only  one,  the  next 
older  than  Kluma,  named  Cerulia,  the  most 
beautiful  of  all,  was  left  at  home.  This  did  not 
render  Kluma's  position  any  the  less  trying. 
Cerulia  was  the  most  lovely,  it  is  true,  but  also 
the  most  ill-natured  and  exacting  of  the  sisters, 
and  being  so  much  by  herself,  she  had  no  other 
means  of  passing  away  her  leisure  than  by 
plaguing  and  tormenting  poor  Kluma  almost 
out  of  her  life  ;  so  that,  at  the  last  (and  no  won- 
der,) Kluma's  patience  was  so  severely  tried,  that 
she  sometimes  retorted  in  anger,  and  became 
in  danger  of  adding  a  disagreeable  temper  to  a 
forbidding  countenance. 

As  the  parents  of  Kluma  had  married  their 
five  eldest  daughters  so  much  to  their  satisfac- 
tion, and  had  no  hope  of  being  able  to  dispose 
of  Kluma  at  all,  they  determined  that  their 
sixth  and  last  marriageable  daughter,  the  Prin- 


44  THE  YULE   LOG. 

cess  Cerulia,  as  she  surpassed  the  rest  in  the 
elegance  of  her  person,  should  as  far  outshine 
them  in  the  magnificence  of  her  settlement. 
Therefore,  they  refused  the  offers  made  by  per- 
sons of  wealth  and  high  station  near  home,  and 
the  father  himself  commissioned  one  of  his  min- 
isters to  go  to  a  country  far  to  the  east,  where 
dwelt  an  opulent  king  called  Hayda,  who  had 
an  only  son,  Prince  Talyon,  who  was  heir  to 
the  finest  kingdom  in  the  world,  and  to  make 
proposals  to  the  king,  to  the  effect  that  his  son, 
Prince  Talyon,  should  wed  the  Princess  Cerulia. 
He  went,  and  returned  in  due  time,  bringing 
the  consent  of  King  Hayda,  and  wonderful 
accounts  of  his  riches,  and  of  the  generosity  of 
the  young  Prince. 

One  night,  shortly  after  this,  a  fearful  storm 
arose.  The  castle  stood  on  an  eminence,  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  sea,  and  amid  the  light- 
nings and  tempest,  a  ship  was  seen  tossing  to 
and  fro,  till  at  last  it  was  dashed  in  pieces  on 
the  rocks.  Then  the  shrieks  and  cries  of  the 
victims  were  most  terrible.  Kluma  could  not 
endure  the  sight,  but  ran  with  a  crowd  of  do- 


THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  45 

mestics  to  the  strand,  where  the  dead  bodies 
were  constantly  being  washed  on  shore.  Among 
the  rest  was  a  youth  meanly  clad,  but  of  a  noble 
form  and  countenance,  who  seemed  to  Kluma 
to  show  still  some  signs  of  life.  She  caused 
the  men,  therefore,  to  bear  him  to  the  castle, 
where  they  tried  to  restore  him  to  conscious- 
ness. The  domestics  took  off  his  wet  garments, 
and  wrapped  him  in  warm  dry  flannels,  and 
after  a  long  time  he  breathed  once  more,  and 
was  able  presently  to  take  food,  and  even  to 
walk  about ;  but  he  could  see  nothing,  a  blind- 
ness having  fallen  upon  him.  The  whole  charge 
of  nursing  him  devolved  upon  Kluma  and  her 
servants,  for,  as  he  was  found  in  such  mean 
attire,  her  parents  thought  him  a  person  of  low 
degree,  and  therefore  cared  little  what  became 
of  him ;  and  as  they  cared  as  little  for  Kluma 
and  her  occupation,  she  was  left  to  spend  her 
time  with  the  stranger,  to  whom  she  became 
much  attached;  and  as  he  could  not  see,  she 
used  to  lead  him  about  the  parks  and  grounds 
for  air.  He  seemed  to  be  very  much  pleased 
with  her,  and  never  liked  her  to  be  away  from 
him. 


46  [THE  YULE  LOG. 

One  day,  while  walking'  about,  she  encoun- 
tered the  minister  who  had  been  sent  with  the 
commission  to  the  kingdom  of  Hayda.     How 
great  was  his  astonishment  at  recognizing  in 
the  poor  blind  youth  that  Kluma  was  leading 
about,  the  rich  Prince  Talyon  !    He  went  direct- 
ly and  reported  his  discovery  to  the  King  and 
Queen,  who  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  were 
perfectly  shocked  to  think  that  he  had  been  so 
neglected  by  all  but  Kluma.     But  they  deter- 
mined now  to  make  amends.     Immediately  a 
magnificent  palace  was  prepared  for  him,  costly 
robes  put  upon  him,  and  servants  kept  constant- 
ly in  waiting.    As  for  Kluma,  she  was  sent  out 
of  the  way,  although  he  was  ever  asking  for  her, 
and  supposed  that  she  was  the  Princess  to  whom 
he  was  betrothed,  not  knowing  that  the  King 
had  another  daughter.    He  presently  confessed 
his  rank,  and  that  he  came  in  disguise  to  see  for 
himself  his  future  bride.      Being  in  the  hands 
of  a  skillful  physician,  his  sight  was  soon  re- 
stored, and  when  he  asked  to  see  her  who  had 
saved  his  life,  and  who  had  nursed  him  so  long 
and  faithfully,  they  brought,  before  him  the 


THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  47 

Princess  Cerulia.  He  was  charmed  when  he 
first  cast  his  eyes  upon  her  beauty,  but  when 
she  spoke  to  him,  the  smile  of  joy  left  his  lips, 
and  he  prayed  of  them  not  to  deceive  him ;  and 
when  they  still  strove  to  convince  him  that  it 
was  she,  he  cried,  "Would  that  I  might  be 
again  blind,  if  her  voice  would  have  the  music 
that  it  had  in  my  past  hours  of  darkness  ! " 

Poor  Kluma  was  very  much  grieved  when 
she  learned  who  the  youth  really  was,  that  she 
had  been  the  means  of  restoring  to  life,  and 
though  she  knew  of  his  asking  for  her,  she  never 
once  thought  of  presenting  herself  to  him,  for 
she  was  sure  he  only  needed  to  see  her  coarse 
features,  to  despise  and  hate  her.  Nevertheless 
she  could  not  keep  herself  from  thinking  of  him, 
and  every  day  saw  her  sadder,  and  more  trou- 
bled, till  at  last,  more  miserable  than  ever,  she 
wandered  far  away  from  home,  and  sat  herself 
down  to  bewail  her  sad  lot.  While  she  was 
weeping,  she  heard  a  step  beside  her,  and  a 
rustling,  and  on  looking  up,  saw  a  little  lady, 
dressed  in  a  robe  of  spangled  silk,  all  glittering 
with  diamonds.     Kluma  could  not  at  first  re- 


43  THE  YULE  LOG. 

member,  that  she  had  seen  her  before,  but 
she  spoke  and  said,  "  Young  Princess,  why  do 
you  weep ;  have  you  forgotten  the  poor  old  lady 
to  whom,  years  ago,  you  restored  the  crutches, 
that  your  naughty  sisters  willfully  threw  away 
from  her  1  She  then  told  you  that  perhaps  one 
day  it  would  be  in  her  power  to  requite  you ; 
she  has  remembered  it  if  you  have  not ;  and 
now  tell  me,  for  I  am  the  same  person,  what 
you  need,  and  why  you  weep  so  bitterly  ?  and 
I,  who  am  an  enchantress  of  great  power,  can 
perhaps  fulfill  your  wishes." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Kluma  eagerly,  "  can  you  take 
away  this  red  skin,  these  colorless  eyes,  this 
coarse  black  hair,  and  give  me  instead  fair- 
ness, like  my  sisters  ? " 

"  I  fear  not,"  said  the  Enchantress. 

"  Then,"  said  Kluma,  "  all  that  you  can  do  for 
me  will  be  in  vain;  I  shall  yet  be  hated  for  my 
ugliness,"  and  wept  more  bitterly  than  ever. 

But  the  Enchantress  was  so  anxious  to  con- 
sole poor  Kluma,  that  she  kept  on  urging  her, 
till  Kluma  finally  told  her  everything  about 
her  sisters'  ill-treatment,  of  the  young  prince 


THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  49 

that  she  had  saved,  and  of  her  great  attachment 
to  him,  and  of  her  grief  on  learning  who  he 
was ;  also,  that  she  had  been  forbidden  to  see 
him,  or  to  speak  to  him,  and  that  if  permitted, 
she  never  should  dare  to  do  so,  for  fear  that  he 
would  scorn  her. 

The  Enchantress  mused  for  a  while,  then 
suddenly  recollecting  herself,  drew  from  her 
bosom  a  small  box,  formed  of  diamonds,  which 
she  held  up  before  Kluma,  while  she  said,  "  I 
think  I  can  dispel  your  grief,  though  I  cannot 
change  your  countenance.  In  this  box  there  is 
a  mist,  formed  of  the  purest  dew  by  morning's 
earliest  beam ;  it  is  so  light  and  transparent  that 
it  can  scarce  be  seen,  and  yet  it  forms  a  medium 
of  such  intensity  and  power,  the  very  ugliest 
features  seen  through  it  become  softened  and 
harmonized.  But  listen  !  only  around  the  face 
and  form  of  the  most  patient  and  amiable,  can 
it  be  held  ;  the  very  slightest  breath  of  anger, 
or  malicious  passion,  will  blow  it  away,  never 
more  to  return."  So  saying,  she  opened  the 
box,  and  out  flew  a  light  cloud,  that  floated 
over  the  countenance  and  form  of  Kluma,  and 


50  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  Enchantress  holding  up  a  mirror  before 
her,  revealed  to  her  her  face,  shining  re- 
splendent through  the  diamond  fleece.  She 
saw  the  mild  light  beaming  from  her  eyes,  the 
lips  around  which  played  a  heavenly  smile,  and 
the  hair,  meekly  parted  from  the  brow,  "  pure 
as  an  angel's."  Kluma  was  almost  transported, 
and  turned  to  thank  the  Enchantress,  for  so  long 
remembering,  and  so  generously  rewarding,  a 
simple  act  of  kindness.  The  little  lady  smiled 
on  her,  and  said,  "  Go  back  to  your  home,  but 
do  not  forget  the  conditions  on  which  you  keep 
your  charms.  Be  patient  and  obedient,  and 
all  will  yet  prosper  with  you."  And  before 
Kluma  could  thank  her  again,  she  vanished. 

Kluma  reached  her  home  at  night,  where  she 
was  told  that  her  parents  had  given  their  com- 
mands that  she  should  remain  constantly  in  her 
room,  and  never  expose  herself  to  the  risk  of 
being  seen  by  the  Prince,  who  was  as  yet  igno- 
rant of  her  assistance.  This  was  sad  news  to 
poor  Kluma,  and  she  began  to  despair  of  ever 
seeing  the  Prince  again,  as  now  matters  were 
in  progress  for  the  marriage,  which  was  soon 


THE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  51 

to  be  celebrated  between  her  sister  and  the 
prince,  and  they  would  probably  depart  ere  she 
would  be  released.  But  she  made  no  resistance, 
only  followed  the  attendant  who  was  instructed 
to  lead  her  to  imprisonment.  As  she  passed 
through  the  hall,  the  servants,  were  struck  with 
wonder  at  the  amazing  change  which  had  taken 
place  in  Kluma,  and  that  she  had  become  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  princesses.  Day  by  day, 
as  they  attended  her,  they  became  accustomed 
to  the  change,  and  spoke  of  her  among  them- 
selves, as  if  she  had  always  been,  as  now,  pre- 
eminent. 

All  this  long  time,  for  a  month  at  least, 
Kluma  had  not  seen  her  parents  and  sister 
(who  only  wished  her  to  keep  out  of  sight,  and 
beyond  this,  cared  very  little  what  became  of 
her),  nor  even  had  she  caught  a  passing  glimpse 
of  the  Prince,  from  whom  they  concealed  all 
knowledge  of  her  existence.  The  pains  they 
took  to  accomplish  their  wishes,  in  this  respect, 
was  the  very  cause  of  bringing  Kluma  to  his 
notice.  One  of  the  servants,  in  waiting  on  him, 
who,  like  all  the  rest,  was  attached  to  Kluma, 


52  THE  YULE  LOG. 

and  indignant  at  her  being  deprived  of  her 
liberty,  let  fall  some  hints  one  day  that 
awakened  the  curiosity  of  the  Prince,  about  the 
beautiful  daughter  of  the  King,  who  was  con- 
fined in  the  palace,  and,  being  urged,  told  the 
whole  story  of  her  wrongs,  that  it  was  Kluma  and 
not  Cerulia  who  had  saved  his  life,  and  whose 
voice  he  so  loved  to  hear.  The  Prince,  en- 
raged at  the  deceit  that  had  been  practised 
upon  him,  immediately  sent  for  the  King  and 
Queen,  and  demanded  that  they  should  -produce 
their  other  daughter,  who  was  a  prisoner  in  the 
palace,  or  he  would  leave  their  kingdom  at 
once,  and  return  home  alone.  They  were  very 
much  alarmed,  and  tried  to  appease  his  wrath, 
by  making  a  confession  of  the  fraud  that  they 
had  practised  on  him,  but  represented  that  it 
was  on  account  of  the  perfect  hideousness  of 
Kluma,  and  that  she  was  not  even  fit  to  be 
presented  to  him ;  but,  as  they  had  already  de- 
ceived him,  and  the  servant  had  expatiated 
largely  on  her  great  attractions,  he  persisted  in 
his  desire  to  see  her.  The  Princess  Cerulia,  in 
a  rage  at  the  implied   slight  to   herself,  and 


TIIE  BEAUTY  IN  THE  MIST.  53 

thinking  to  mortify  the  Prince  and  Kluma  at 
the  same  time,  proposed  that  she  should  be 
sent  for,  and  the  King,  thinking  it  the  best  mode 
of  ending  this  importunity  of  the  Prince,  and  of 
convincing  him  of  the  truth,  consented  to  its 
being  done.  She  was  accordingy  conducted, 
trembling  and  agitated,  into  their  presence. 
The  Princess  Cerulia  haughtily  and  triumph- 
antly turned  her  eyes,  first  upon  the  Prince, 
then  upon  Kluma,  when  lo  !  she  stood  glowing 
before  them,  in  unsurpassed  loveliness.  The 
King  and  Queen  were  no  less  amazed,  not 
knowing  how  this  wonderful  change  had  been 
wrought.  As  for  the  Prince,  he  needed  no 
second  look  to  know  that  to  this  Princess  his 
heart  should  be  given.  He  thanked  her  for  his 
life,  which  she  had  saved  to  him,  and  when  she 
answered  he  knew  the  voice  he  had  so  longed 
to  hear  again.  The  King,  seeing  that  there 
was  still  a  hope  of  his  claiming  the  Prince 
for  his  son-in-law,  came  forward,  and  tendered 
the  hand  of  Kluma,  which  the  Prince  graciously 
accepted,  as  by  this  time  he  was  completely 
captivated. 


54  THE  YULE  LOG. 

Words  cannot  describe  the  rage  of  the  Prin- 
cess Cerulia  when  she  saw  Kluma  thus  openly 
preferred  to  herself,  and  her  mortification  knew 
no  bounds,  when,  after  an  imposing  pageant, 
and  bridal  ceremony  (at  which  she  was  forced 
to  appear  as  chief  bridesmaid),  she  saw  Kluma 
depart,  as  the  bride  of  the  Prince  Talyon,  to  the 
kingdom  of  his  father,  to  which  he  was  heir, 
and  where  they  lived  in  happiness  many  long 
years  ;  and  Kluma  still  grew  more  lovely  in  the 
eyes  of  her  husband,  for  the  mist  was  never 
dissipated  as  long  as  she  lived,  by  the  rude  breath 
of  anger  or  malice. 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE. 


V. 

THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE. 

Theke  was  once  a  rich  Persian,  named  Bo- 
lamah,  whose  father  had  left  him  in  possession 
of  such  vast  amounts  of  treasure  that  he  ex- 
ceeded even  the  greatest  Princes  of  the  country 
in  wealth.  Bolamah  had  a  splendid  palace, 
full  of  all  that  could  delight  the  senses,  and 
furnish  food  for  the  mind  ;  such  statuary  and 
rich  paintings  was  never  before  seen  ;  such 
magnificent  gardens,  grottoes  and  fountains  ; 
beside  this,  he  was  exceedingly  handsome  in 
person  and  accomplished  in  mind  and  manners. 
Of  course,  he  was  surrounded  by  flatterers,  who 
paid  court  to  him,  because,  in  return,  he  heaped 
benefits  upon  them,  and,  so  accustomed  was  he 
to  praise,  that  insensibly  it  became  necessary  to 
his  happiness,  and  those  who  were  most  ful- 
some in  their  adulation  were  the  surest  of  gain- 
in  or  his  favor. 


56  THE  YULE  LOG. 

He  had,  however,  one  true  friend,  who 
esteemed  Bolamah  next  to  himself;  and  if  any 
make  profession  of  greater  friendship  than  that, 
we  ought  to  suspect  their  sincerity.  This  friend, 
called  Covez,  was  poor  but  honest,  and  much 
attached  to  Bolamah,  who  was  fond  of  him 
also.  For  a  long  time  after  his  father's  death, 
Bolamah  found  plenty  of  employment  in  per- 
fecting and  adorning  his  palace,  and  Covez  was 
always  appointed  to  oversee  the  execution  of 
the  plans  that  the  fine  taste  of  his  patron  sug- 
gested. By  their  joint  efforts  the  palace  of 
Bolamah  was  so  noted  for  its  elegance  that 
many  came  from  afar  to  see  it,  and  were  en- 
chanted, and  did  homage  to  the  fortunate 
owner,  who  was  the  proudest  of  men.  When 
he  reached  his  thirtieth  year  he  felt  that  his 
happiness  would  be  more  complete  if  he  had  a 
wife,  to  be  with  him  constantly,  and  to  share 
the  grandeur  and  luxury  that  surrounded  him. 
He  opened,  as  usual,  his  mind  to  Covez,  and 
promised  to  bestow  on  him  a  magnificent  re- 
ward, if  he  would  procure  him  a  suitable  com- 
panion.     Covez   readily  enough  accepted   the 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.         57 

commission,  first  revolving  in  his  mind  what 
sort  of  woman  w;0uld  be  most  likely  to  please 
Bolamah.  In  regard  to  her  beauty,  that  matter 
was  settled  at  once — it  was  indispensable  ;  and 
in  Persia,  where  the  women  have  a  world-wide 
reputation  for  personal  attractions,  it  was  no 
hard  matter  to  find  plenty  which  would  charm 
the  eye.  "  But,"  thought  he,  "  Bolamah,  who 
is  so  learned  and  accomplished  himself,  will  re- 
quire that  his  wife  also,  in  the  same  manner, 
excel  all  others ;  and  to  find  beauty  and  talent 
combined  would  be  a  difficult  task."  Never- 
theless, he  determined  to  undertake  it,  and  gain 
the  reward  if  he  was  able,  for  Covez  was  in 
love,  and  would  have  asked  no  one  to  choose  a 
wife  for  him  while  pretty  little  black-eyed 
Manilla  lived  with  her  old  father,  by  the  side 
of  the  same  river  that  passed  through  the 
splendid  grounds  of  Bolamah,  yet  did  not  dis- 
dain to  make  its  gladdest  music  in  rushing  by 
their  little  cot,  that  stood  in  the  humblest  vale. 
Covez  knew  if  he  could  gain  the  reward  that 
Bolamah  offered  it  would  make  him  rich  as  he 
desired  for  the  rest  of  his  life ;  he  could  then 


53  THE  YULE  LOG. 

marry  his  little  Manilla,  and  make  sure  that 
she  was  his  own ;  and  he  felt  that  he  could 
never  rest  easy  till  this  was  done,  for  she  was 
beset  by  all  the  neighboring  swains  ;  and, 
though  she  had  given  him  her  troth,  he  could 
not  help  feeling  anxious  and  uneasy  when 
others,  richer  than  himself,  were  pressing  their 
suits  with  such  ardor.  Covez,  therefore,  sought 
earnestly  to  find  out  some  woman  to  present  to 
Bolamah,  and  one  fine  morning,  setting  out  on 
a  journey,  he  resolved  not  to  come  back  till  he 
had  accomplished  his  object.  After  having 
been  gone  for  a  long  time,  and  hearing  of  many 
whom  he  thought  would  be  likely  to  please,  but, 
on  searching  them  out,  finding  himself  always 
disappointed,  he  one  day  heard  of  a  very  beau- 
tiful woman,  of  whose  voice  such  wonders  were 
told  that  he  determined  to  hear  her  for  himself; 
accordingly  he  travelled  to  the  place  where  this 
singing  bird  (whose  name  was  Natinga),  re- 
sided. He  found  her  with  a  crowd  about  her, 
who  were  listening  breathlessly  while  she 
poured  forth  from  her  swelling  throat  such  a 
melody  that  poor  Covez  sat  down  overpowered 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.        59 

and  listened,  forgetting  for  the  time  his  errand, 
Bolamah,  Manilla,  everything,  so  completely 
was  his  soul  ravished  from  him.  When  she 
had  ceased  he  recovered  himself  enough  to  per- 
ceive that  she  was  as  finely  formed  and  hand- 
some a  woman  as  one  could  wish  to  see,  and  he 
felt  sure,  if  Bolamah  could  only  hear  her  sing, 
he  would  marry  her  at  once,  and  thus  have 
her  where  he  could  always  be  listening  to  the 
music  of  her  voice. 

He  found  no  great  trouble  in  persuading 
Natinga  to  go  with  him.  She  was  poor,  and, 
like  her  sex,  fond  of  luxury  and  splendor,  and 
Cobez  had  not  been  behindhand  in  picturing 
the  brilliant  future  that  lay  before  her,  if  she 
would  leave  her  home  and  follow  him.  She 
bade  adieu  to  her  parents  and  friends,  and  set 
off  with  Cobez,  but  in  parting  felt  sorrowful 
enough,  as  she  remembered  how  proud  they  all 
had  been  of  her ;  but  when,  after  three  days, 
she  came  in  sight  of  a  stately  palace,  and  Cobez 
told  her  that,  in  al}  probability,  it  would  be 
her  future  home,  she  banished  her  regrets,  and 
bore  herself  thrQugh  the  gateway  j  on  her  camel. 


GO  TilE  YULE  LOG. 

with  as  proud  an  air  as  a  queen  about  to  re- 
ceive the  homage  of  her  subjects.  Bolamah 
met  them  at  the  door,  and  conducted  them  to 
the  apartments  that  he  had  appropriated  to  the 
use  of  his  future  wife.  u  Here,"  thought  Na- 
tinga,  "  one  can  but  be  happy."  And  no 
wonder  she  thought  so,  for  everything  a  woman 
could  fancy  or  desire  was  there  ;  the  softest  car- 
pets, in  which  the  feet  sank  as  into  mossy  turf ; 
couches  of  velvet  and  down ;  fountains,  with 
gay  birds  dipping  their  tiny  beaks  into  the 
spray  ;  flowers,  whose  odors  almost  palled  on 
the  senses  by  their  richness.  Poor  Natinga 
was  at  first  bewildered,  and  Cobez  feared  she 
would  not  be  collected  enough  to  do  her  best 
before  Bolamah  at  night,  which  he  had  ap- 
pointed as  the  time  when  he  should  first  listen 
to  her  music.  But  at  evening,  seated  on  a 
balcony  overlooking  a  scene  of  beauty,  made 
visible  by  the  moonlight,  she  was  so  excited 
and  inspired  that  she  poured  forth,  as  if  from 
her  very  soul,  such  notes  as  Cobez  had  never 
heard  from  her  before.  Bolamah,  completely 
ravished,  declared  passionately  that   this  was 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.        61 

the  woman  of  all  others  to  be  his  chosen  com- 
panion ;  and  the  hearts  of  the  three  that  even- 
ing were  full  of  joy:  Bolamah,  at  having  such 
a  lovely  and  accomplished  being  for  his  bride, 
Natinga,  with  her  new-found  splendor,  and 
Cobez,  that  he  had  gained  the  reward  that  was 
to  do  so  much  for  him.  Bolamah  was  so  proud 
of  Natinga  and  her  genius  that  he  sent  invita- 
tions to  all  the  wealthy  gentlemen  of  distinc- 
tion, with  their  families,  to  come  to  a  great 
feast  that  he  was  preparing,  and  which  was  to 
last  for  a  whole  month,  and  terminate  with  his 
marriage.  He  caused  a  sort  of  throne  to  be 
erected  for  himself  and  Natinga  at  the  end  of 
a  splendid  hall,  or  court,  where,  with  a  harp  of 
gold  in  her  hand,  she  peformed  and  sang  before 
the  assembly,  who  were  in  raptures.  Their  ap- 
plause at  first  pleased  Bolamah,  but  he  soon 
found  that  he  was  cast  into  the  shade  by  the 
superiority  of  Natinga  ;  that  when  he  took  the 
harp  his  own  performance  did  not  please  even 
himself,  and  only  called  forth  such  meager  ap- 
plause as  the  politeness  of  his  guests  forced  from 
them.     And,  day  by  day,  as  they  became  more 


02  THE  YULE  LOG. 

charmed  with  Natinga's  music,  and  poured  forth 
the  flattery  at  her  shrine  that  he  had  been  wont 
to  receive  himself,  he  grew  more  disquieted,  and 
laid  the  consequences  of  his  own  vanity  to  the 
account  of  poor  Natinga.  He  began  to  fancy 
that  her  music  was  harsh  and  discordant,  that 
it  grated  upon  his  ear,  and  he  grew  sullen  and 
ill-humored  towards  her,  while  she,  poor  thing, 
never  imagining  the  cause  of  his  unhappiness, 
went  on  trying  to  please  him  by  even  outdoing 
herself,  which,  of  course,  only  rendered  her  the 
more  odious  to  him. 

At  last  his  distaste  became  so  evident  that 
Cobez  perceived  something  was  wrong,  and 
shortly  after,  Bolamah  told  him  that  he  must 
take  her  out  of  his  sight,  and  endeavor  to  procure 
for  him  a  wife  whose  tastes  should  better  accord 
with  his  own.  Cobez  was  very  sorry  to  hear 
this,  indeed  much  more  grieved  than  Natinga 
herself,  when  she  came  to  be  told  of  it,  for  her 
life  had  latterly  been  made  so  unpleasant,  by 
Bolamah's  harshness,  she  was  only  too  glad 
to  be  permitted  to  go  back  again  to  the  kind 
friends  who  had  been  so  proud  of  her,  more 


THE  EIGH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.        63 

especially  so,  as  Bolamah  in  his  anxiety  to  get 
rid  of  her,  had  to  make  amends  to  her  for  her 
disappointment,  by  loading  her  with  valuable 
presents,  and  graciously  bidding  her  farewell. 

Cobez  conducted  her  again  to  her  native 
place,  where  the  whole  town,  when  they  heard 
that  she  was  returning  to  them,  came  out  to 
receive  her,  and  carried  her  triumphantly  to 
her  own  little  home — to  her  parents,  where  her 
song  was  soon  heard  "  ringing  up  the  sky," 
as  would  a  wild  bird's,  who  had  been  confined 
in  a  golden  cage,  when  it  felt  itself  free,  and 
again  in  the  little  nest  of  its  infancy. 

While  Cobez  was  rather  sadly  returning, 
leading  the  gaily  housed  animal  which  had 
borne  Natinga  to  her  home,  all  his  fine  schemes 
having  fallen  to  the  ground  by  this  sudden 
change  in  the  mind  of  Bolamah,  he  saw  before 
him  a  company  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  to 
whom  he  wished  to  join  himself,  as  the  road 
was  infested  with  robbers,  who  were  apt  to 
molest  single  travellers ;  he  rode  up,  and  asked 
to  go  along  with  them,  to  which  they  gladly 
gave  their  consent.     He  found  that  they  were 


G4  THE  YULE  LOG. 

going  to  look  at  some  paintings  in  a  town  not 
far  off,  which  were  said  to  be  the  most  beautiful 
in  the  world.  Cobez  resolved  to  go  with  them, 
and  secure  the  choicest  for  Bolamah's  palace. 
They  entered  a  gallery  where  they  were  on 
exhibition,  and  Cobez  felt  sure  that  they  sur- 
passed anything  that  he  had  ever  seen,  although 
he  had  made  a  collection  in  the  palace  of  all 
that  were  the  most  celebrated ;  and  on  asking 
to  see  the  artist,  he  was  very  much  astonished 
when  a  female  presented  herself,  a  lovely  wo- 
man, with  a  pure  Grecian  face  and  form,  mild 
brown  eyes  and  hair,  whose  smooth  braids  were 
folded  classically  around  her  forehead.  Kray- 
ona  had  a  gentleness  of  manner,  that  indicated 
a  pliable  disposition.  Cobez  instantly  said  to 
himself,  What  if  I  should  induce  this  lady  to 
accompany  me  home ;  Bolamah,  who  paints  so 
well  himself,  would  surely  enjoy  having  his 
wife  in  possession  of  the  same  talent.  Dear  me, 
were  I  like  Bolamah,  able  to  marry,  I  should 
not  be  so  long  in  making  a  choice;  but  such  a 
poor  ignorant  thing  as  Manilla  would  not  suit 
Bolamah.     She  cannot  sing  or  paint,  or  do  any- 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.         65 

tiling  clever,  but  her  laugh  is  music  enough  for 
me,  and  her  little  fingers  twirl  the  thread  she 
spins  so  prettily,  and  her  small  feet  go  dancing 
along  with  such  a  graceful  lightness,  that  she 
is  more  charming  to  me  than  the  most  accom- 
plished lady  in  the  land.  But  if  I  do  not  suc- 
ceed in  getting  the  reward,  what  will  all  her 
prettiness  avail  me;  I  shall  be  too  poor  to 
marry  her ;  so  at  a  venture  I  will  take  Krayona, 
and  see  if  she  will  not  please  Bolamah  better 
than  Natinga  has  done.  Krayona  did  not  re- 
fuse the  honor  of  becoming  a  candidate,  as 
the  wife  of  the  wealthiest  gentleman  in  Per- 
sia, when  Cobez  represented  to  her  that  he 
was  in  favor  of  her  accompanying  him.  So 
one  morning  saw  her  on  the  camel,  that  had 
borne  Natinga  in  a  contrary  direction,  and  with 
her  choicest  paintings  in  a  caravan  behind, 
journeying  over  a  delightful  country,  toward 
the  palace  of  Bolamah.  They  reached  it  as 
sunset  was  gilding  its  walls  with  its  gorgeous 
floods  of  light.  They  entered  the  palace  quietly, 
and  Krayona,  without  being  announced,  was 
conducted  by  Cobez  to  his  own  apartments,  and 


66  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  next  day,  when  he  and  Bolamah  were  alone 
together,  he  told  him  of  Krayona,  and  caused 
the  finest  of  her  works  to  be  shown  to  him, 
which  Bolamah  so  admired  that  he  greatly 
desired  to  see  the  artist.  Her  modest  address 
and  mild  beauty  so  charmed  him,  that  he  directly 
desired  that  she  should  be  made  mistress  of  the 
apartments  that  Natinga  had  formerly  occupied, 
and  have  free  access  to  his  galleries  of  painting 
and  statuary,  to  gratify  her  favorite  tastes.  She 
was  almost  beside  herself  in  the  midst  of  these 
works  of  art,  and  with  Bolamah,  spent  most  of 
her  time  there,  copying  from  the  old  masters,  or 
out  amid  the  beautiful  works  of  nature,  sketch- 
ing beside  him.  Now,  Cobez  thought  his  patron 
would  be  satisfied,  and  all  would  go  well  again ; 
but  he  found  that  it  was  not  so.  Bolamah  had 
caused  Krayona's  paintings  to  be  hung  beside 
his  own,  and  on  first  seeing  them  together,  was 
excessively  mortified,  to  behold  what  a  sorry 
appearance  his  own  made  beside  them;  and 
when  he  saw  that  all  eyes,  after  glancing  at  his, 
instantly  returned  to  those  of  Krayona,  he  began 
to  be  as  jealous  of  her  as  he  before  had  been 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.         67 

of  Natinga,  and  to  wish  her  as  heartily  out  of 
his  sight.  Krayona  was  too  much  occupied 
with  her  art  to  notice  the  change  in  Bolamah  ; 
but  Cobez,  who  watched  him  closely,  soon  de- 
tected it,  and  made  up  his  mind  that  as  Bola- 
mah was  so  fickle,  it  would  be  almost  im- 
possible to  fix  him  in  his  choice,  and  he  felt  no 
surprise  when  Bolamah  instructed  him  to  make 
presents  to  Krayona,  as  he  had  done  to  Natin- 
ga,  and  convey  her  away  in  the  same  manner. 
All  which  he  did;  and  Krayona,  without  a 
word  of  complaint,  left  her  grandeur,  and  re- 
turned to  her  former  station,  happy  and  con- 
tented. 

Now  about  this  time,  travelers  from  the  east- 
ern part  of  Persia  came  through  the  country 
where  Bolamah  dwelt,  and  gave  their  testimony 
to  the  genius  of  a  bright  star  in  poetry  that 
h^d  arisen  in  that  land ;  her  fame  was  so  noised 
abroad  as  to  rivet  the  ears  of  Cobez  and  Bola- 
mah, who,  from  time  to  time  conversed  upon 
the  various  reports  of  her  that  came  to  them, 
and  at  last,  so  much  was  he  interested,  Cobez 
was  directed  to  find  her  out,  and  if  possible,  to 


68  THE  YULE   LOG. 

bring  her  to  the  palace.  After  much  seeking, 
he  obtained  an  entrance  into  her  presence, 
where  she  was  surrounded  with  auditors,  before 
whom  she  was  reciting  her  stanzas.  He  thought 
her  a  glorious  creature,  with  her  black  hair 
streaming  wildly,  and  her  eyes  of  fire,  her  low 
broad  brow,  and  cheek  pale,  excepting  as  it 
was  lit  by  the  flash  of  genius.  She  needed  the 
most  glowing  descriptions  from  Cobez  of  Bola- 
mah's  riches  and  power,  to  induce  her  to  con- 
sent to  go  with  him  ;  but  he  succeeded  at  last ; 
and  after  a  journey,  the  most  trying  to  Cobez, 
they  came  to  a  point  where  a  cavalcade,  sent 
out  by  Bolamah,  to  welcome  his  chosen  bride 
to  her  home,  was  waiting  to  meet  them.  Bol- 
amah himself  came  many  miles  in  state,  to 
receive  one  so  distinguished,  and  they  conduct- 
ed her  with  ceremony  into  the  palace,  where 
everything  had  been  put  in  order  to  welcome 
her.  It  took  her  several  days  to  recover  the 
fatigues  of  her  journey,  and  all  the  while  Bola- 
mah was  waiting  impatiently  to  converse  with 
her,  and  to  hear  her  poetry.  At  last  she  gave 
out  that  she  would  meet  him  with  his  friends 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.         69 

in  the  great  hall,  and  recite  to  him  her  poetry. 
In  the  evening  she  was  inducted  into  the  seat 
that  Natinga  had  occupied,  when  she  sang 
before  them,  and  with  Bolamah  beside  her,  she 
commenced  a  wild  rhapsody,  then  swelling  to  a 
lofty  strain,  she  told  of  the  battle  raging  high, 
till  the  warriors  would  place  their  hands  upon 
their  swords,  and  breathe  forth  fire ;  then 
her  voice  and  words  would  soothe,  till  they 
sank  back  and  listened,  while  she  poured  a  tale 
of  love ;  then  she  would  melt  them  to  tears  with 
her  pathetic  lay,  till  they  hushed  their  very 
breaths  to  hear  her.  Bolamah  was  at  first 
carried  along  with  the  tide,  and  praised  and 
admired  as  well  as  others  ;  but  the  next  day, 
alone  with  Hersala,  when  he  commenced 
repeating  to  her  some  of  his  own  poetry, 
he  found  first  that  she  was  yawning  wearily, 
and  then,  that  she  was  fast  asleep.  He  discov- 
ered, too,  that  one  who  had  been  so  constantly 
nattered  as  Hersala,  like  himself,  needed  the 
excitement  of  praise,  and  that  after  these  fits 
of  inspiration,  she  was  more  than  usually  dull ; 
that  her  temper  was  not  as  mild  as  that  of  Na- 


10  THE  YULE  LOG. 

tiuga,  or  Krayona,  and  that  the  wild  passion 
she  expressed,  sometimes  moved  her  own  bosom 
to  a  storm. 

If  he  had  been  jealous  of  Natinga  and  Kra- 
yona, he  might  well  be  of  Iiersala,  for  she  so 
wrought  upon  the  minds  of  all,  the  very  scul- 
lions in  the  kitchen  were  repeating  her  words 
or  singing  her  songs ;  and  so  greatly  was  she 
adored,  that  a  crowd  followed  her  footsteps, 
and  Bolamah,  of  so  much  importance  before, 
sank  into  insignificance  beside  her.  He  became 
at  last  so  mad  with  jealousy,  that  he  dismissed 
her  suddenly,  and  she,  in  a  rage  at  his  treat- 
ment, wrote  verses  on  Bolamah,  and  placed  his 
foibles  in  such  a  ludicrous  light,  that  he  was 
so  mortified  at  the  time  as  to  declare  he  would 
no  more  allow  a  female  to  become  a  candidate 
for  the  honor  of  being  his  wife,  and  that  he 
would  remain  unmarried  to  the  end  of  his  days. 

Cobez,  who  had  been  near  getting  into  dis- 
grace himself  by  his  repeated  failures,  began 
now  to  have  an  inkling  of  the  true  state  of  the 
case.  He  now  understood  that  Bolamah  would 
not  be  satisfied  with  a  wife  who  was  constantly 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN.  AND  THE  STATUE.         71 

casting  him,  her  lord,  into  the  shade  by  her 
superiority ;  that  a  companion,  to  please  him, 
must  be  content  to  be  his  humble  admirer,  and 
that,  if  he  ever  obtained  the  reward,  it  must  be 
by  the  greatest  caution  and  skillfulness  on  his 
own  part.  Now  Cobez  had  an  intimate  friend 
called  Meldon,  a  cunning  sculptor,  who  carried 
his  art  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection.  In 
his  perplexity  to  Meldon  Cobez  went,  and  told 
him  all  about  Bolamah,  and  of  his  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  satisfy  him,  and  of  his  own  desire 
to  make  Menilla  his  wife,  and  then  promised 
him  half  the  reward,  if  he  would  devise  and 
assist  him  in  carrying  out  some  plan  to  fulfill 
his  wishes.  This  Meldon  consented  to  do,  and 
on  putting  their  heads  together,  concocted  a 
scheme  so  much  to  their  satisfaction  that  they 
proceeded  at  once  to  execute  it.  Meldon  set 
himself  to  work,  and  made  the  perfect  image 
of  a  woman ;  it  was  tall,  and  of  the  most  sym- 
metrical proportions.  He  moulded  the  features 
so  perfectly,  they  had  the  form  and  the  very 
expression  of  life ;  the  eyes  were  of  the  darkest 
hazel,  soft  and  varying  in  their  light ;  the  hair, 


72  THE  YULE  LOG. 

silken,  glossy,  and  black  as  the  wing  of  a  raven, 
fell  over  shoulders  of  marble  whiteness,  round 
and  polished ;  her  bosom  was  made  to  rise  and 
fall  with  the  breath  that  he  breathed  from 
his  own  lips  into  hers ;  her  arms  dazzled  one  to 
look  upon  them,  and  the  taper  fingers  of  the 
slender  hand  were  taught  to  move  gracefully 
over  the  strings  of  a  harp ;  her  brows  were 
black,  and  arched  like  a  bow,  her  lashes  long 
and  dark.  It  could  move  its  limbs,  and  walk 
about  with  grace  and  dignity,  unclose  the  lips, 
smile  sweetly,  and  softly  murmur,  "  Beautiful ! 
Beautiful ! "  When  it  was  completed,  they 
arrayed  it  in  queenly  robes.  When  Cobez  saw 
it  finished,  he  was  so  delighted  with  the  beau- 
tiful image,  he  was  tempted  to  forget  Menilla 
forever,  and  throw  himself  at  its  feet ;  but  he 
presently  thought  of  the  liitle  warm  heart  that 
was  beating  beneath  her  bosom,  and  felt  that 
she  was  ten  times  dearer  to  him  than  this 
stately,  cold  beauty.  They  gave  the  image 
the  name  of  Fauna,  and  set  to  work  to  plan 
how  to  bring  her  to  the  notice  of  Bolamah. 
So  they  contrived  at  last  that  Cobez  should 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.         13 

represent  to  him  that  a  great  lady  had  come 
from  far  to  view  his  splendid  palace  ;  and  hav- 
ing obtained  Bolamah's  consent  to  its  being 
exhibited  to  her  by  them,  they  timed  their  visit 
so  well  as  to  meet  Bolamah  at  the  door  as  they 
were  alighting  from  their  chariot.  Bolamah, 
who  had  so  long  been  distinguished  for  his  high 
breeding,  could  not  allow  such  a  magnificent 
lady,  like  a  queen  in  her  mien  and  dress,  to 
pass  him  without  the  ordinary  expressions  of 
politeness.  He  therefore  returned  her  graceful 
salutation,  and  gave  her  his  arm,  and  with  a 
step  as  calm  and  measured  as  her  own,  trav- 
ersed with  her  the  walks  and  apartments  of 
the  grounds  and  of  the  palace.  Everything 
met  her  approbation.  Did  he  show  her  his 
gardens,  his  paintings,  or  take  up  his  lute  and 
sing,  still  the  sweet  smile  hovered  around  her 
mouth,  and  the  words, "  Beautiful !  Beautiful ! " 
were  murmured  from  her  lips,  till  at  last  Bol- 
amah, who  could  no  longer  resist  her  beauty, 
her  grace,  and,  above  all,  her  appreciation  of 
himself,  fell  at  her  feet,  telling  her  that  she  of 
all  should  be  the  chosen  one  who  was  to  share 


74  THE  YULE  LOG. 

his  palace  and  his  heart;  and  Fauna  only 
drooped  her  proud  head  a  little  lower,  and  still 
murmured  softly,  "  Beautiful !  Beautiful ! "  till 
Bolamah  was  quite  overcome  with  her  dignity 
and  sweet  compliance  to  his  wishes.  Cobez 
was  in  transports  when  he  found  his  plan  had 
worked  so  admirably.  Fauna  was  now  the 
constant  and  approved  companion  of  Bolamah ; 
he  never  was  willing  to  have  her  away  from 
him  a  moment,  and  preparations  for  the  mar- 
riage were  put  forward  with  haste,  to  the  great 
joy  of  Cobez,  who  was  convinced  that  Bolamah 
was  now  in  earnest.  At  last  all  was  in  readi- 
ness, and  the  marriage  took  place,  at  which 
Fauna  comported  herself  with  such  dignity  as 
to  win  the  approbation  of  Bolamah  and  the 
admiration  of  all  that  looked  upon  her;  and 
when  she  was  installed  as  mistress  of  the  palace, 
her  bearing  toward  the  guests  was  so  queenly, 
yet  condescending,  that  even  the  ladies,  who 
are  apt  to  be  jealous  of  their  own  sex,  declared 
her  the  most  fascinating  woman  in  the  universe. 
So  pleased  was  Bolamah  with  Fauna,  that  he 
doubled  the  reward  that  he  had  offered  to  Cobez, 


THE  RICH  PERSIAN  AND  THE  STATUE.        75 

because  he  had  been  the  means  of  bringing  to 
his  notice  one  who  was  so  charming,  and  of 
procuring  him  so  much  happiness.  This  money 
Cobez  divided  with  his  friend  Meldon,  through 
whose  skill  he  had  been  able  to  obtain  it,  and 
with  part  of  their  money  they  purchased  two 
cottages ;  and  when  Cobez  had  married  Menilla, 
and  had  a  family  about  him,  Meldon  was  god- 
father to  his  children,  and  his  favorite,  called 
after  him,  bade  fair  to  equal  him  in  skill  in  the 
art  which  Meldon  loved. 

Cobez  and  Menilla  lived  very  happily  to- 
gether— (not  quite  as  calmly,  perhaps,  as  Bol- 
amah  and  his  spouse,  whose  domestic  peace 
was  a  proverb  in  the  country) ;  but  when 
Menilla  was  a  little  capricious  and  wayward, 
Cobez  only  said  to  Meldon,  "  There,  she  shows 
her  flesh  and  blood,  and  her  warm  heart,"  and 
he  never  thought  of  envying  Bolamah  and 
Fauna  in  the  unvarying  calmness  of  their  life. 


16  THE  YULE  LOG. 


VI. 

THE  ROSE  AND  THE  LILY. 

Amid  a  garden  of  flowers  the  queen  Rose  and 
the  queen  Lily  stood  pre-eminent ;  but  they,  like 
all  beauties,  were  extremely  jealous  of  each 
other,  and  were  not  willing  to  divide  the  palm 
between  them,  but  each  one  was  anxious  to  be 
acknowledged  as  the  "  flower  of  the  flowers." 
Knowing  the  foibles  of  the  two  rival  ladies,  an 
old  orange-tree  sought  to  ingratiate  himself 
into  the  favor  of  both  by  alternately  flattering 
them  in  private,  and  laughing  at  the  ridiculous 
pretensions  of  the  one  to  the  other,  whispering 
to  each  that  her  charms  could  not  be  surpassed  ; 
and  then  the  false  old  fellow  used  to  entertain 
his  friend,  the  oleander,  who  was  not  a  lady's 
man  at  all,  with  stories  of  the  vanity  of  the 
two  queens,  and  of  the  lucky  strokes  of  flattery 
which    had   told    so   well   on   his   susceptible 


THE  ROSE  AND  THE  LILY.  11 

listeners.  But  lie  soon  found  that  his  sincerity 
was  going  to  be  put  to  the  test,  for  these  par- 
tisans could  no  longer  conceal  their  rivalry ;  so 
the  Rose  openly  threw  down  the  gauntlet  to 
the  Lily,  and  called  upon  all  the  flowers  of  the 
garden  to  pronounce  upon  their  respective 
merits,  and  to  decide  which  should  hencefor- 
ward take  the  lead  among  them.  The  old 
orange-tree  was  chosen  by  the  consent  of  both 
the  queens  to  be  the  chief  judge,  each  of  them 
thinking  that  the  umpire  was  enlisted  in  her 
favor,  and  thereby  that  they  had  the  game  in 
their  own  hands.  Now,  the  old  gallant  did  not 
wish  to  have  anything  to  say  in  the  matter, 
but,  as  they  were  both  so  solicitous,  he  could 
not  refuse  them  with  a  very  good  grace  ;  and,  to 
put  on  the  best  face,  he  invited  all  the  flowers 
of  the  garden  to  an  entertainment,  at  which  he 
gave  out  that  the  question  was  to  be  put  for 
ever  at  rest. 

When  the  queen  Lily  received  her  invitation 
she  said  to  one  of  her  fair  maidens,  "  The  pre- 
sumption of  that  flaunting  Rose  deserves  its 
punishment,  and,  were  it  not  that  she  would  be 


78  THE  YULE  LOG. 

vain  enough  to  suppose  that  I  am  afraid  to 
show  myself  beside  her,  I  would  decline  meet- 
ing her  altogether ;  but  she  would  feed  her 
vanity  upon  my  refusal,  therefore  I  shall  give 
my  orders  to  all  the  family  to  adorn  themselves, 
and  be  in  readiness  to  attend  me  to-morrow  at 
midnight." 

The  orange-tree  spared  neither  labor  nor  ex- 
pense in  the  preparations.  A  table  was  set  out 
in  a  large  arbor  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  with 
refreshments,  and  the  walks  were  brilliantly 
illuminated  by  lamps  which  the  glow-worms 
and  the  fire-flies  furnished.  A  fine  orchestra 
of  birds  was  stationed  on  the  top  of  the  arbor, 
and  long  before  midnight  all  were  in  readiness, 
and  the  orange-tree  was  awaiting,  with  the 
oleander  beside  him  (who,  by  the  way,  had  en- 
joyed a  quiet  pipe  or  two),  the  arrival  of  the 
guests.  Many  of  the  flowers  came  early,  but 
the  orchestra  only  struck  up  when  the  queen 
Rose  approached ;  she  was  received  with  dis- 
tinguished attention  by  the  orange-tree,  who 
presented  her  to  the  oleander.  The  ill-man- 
nered old  bachelor,  instead  of  rising  and  lead- 


THE  ROSE  AND  THE  LILY.  79 

ing  lier  to  a  chair,  merely  nodded  his  head,  and 
remained  stiffly  seated,  much  to  the  mortifica- 
tion of  the  orange-tree,  whose  own  manners 
were  polished,  and  very  deferential  to  ladies, 
though  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  oleander  cared 
far  more  for  them  in  his  heart  than  the  courtly, 
but  rather  deceptive,  orange-tree. 

The  queen  was  dressed  in  her  diamonds,  and 
no  one  could  blame  her  for  the  pride  with 
which  she  looked  around  upon  her  attendants, 
who,  blooming  with  youth  and  beauty,  were 
filling  the  seats.  There  was  the  white  rose 
(always  a  favorite),  with  her  modest  and  un- 
pretending manners  ;  the  damask,  with  her 
beautiful  blush  ;  and  even  the  wild  rose  was 
there,  and,  as  the  queen  observed  to  one  of  her 
intimates,  "  Though  she  had  been  brought  up 
in  the  country,  and  not  at  all  accustomed  to 
fashionable  society,  there  was  a  native  grace 
about  her,  and  a  propriety  of  manner,  which 
made  her  very  presentable,  owing,  no  doubt,  to 
the  good  blood  she  had  in  her  veins."  The 
queen  was  very  gracious  to  all,  and  only  once 
did  she  seem  at  all  disturbed,  and  that  was 


80  THE  YULE  LOG. 

when  the  little  prude,  the  moss-rose,  passed 
her,  making  such  a  show  of  her  modesty,  in 
pretending  to  hide  her  face  under  her  veil,  when 
she  knew  well  enough  she  was  only  enhancing 
her  charms  by  so  doing  ;  and  presently,  when 
the  little  beauty  stole  shyly  into  a  corner,  as  if 
to  get  out  of  sight,  every  one  said  she  was 
striving  to  captivate  Monsieur  de  Yellow  Rose, 
a  gentleman  who  had  travelled  in  foreign  parts, 
and  was  by  all  odds  the  most  desirable  beau  in 
the  room.  Her  artifice  must  have  succeeded, 
for  they  presently  commenced  a  flirtation  with 
each  other  that  lasted  the  whole  evening.  Now 
a  second  flourish  of  trumpets  by  the  orchestra 
heralded  the  approach  of  the  Lilies,  and  at  the 
sound  there  was  quite  a  sensation  among  the 
Roses,  who  all  shook  up  their  perfumes,  and 
seemed  not  a  little  fluttered.  As  for  the  queen 
Rose,  she  was  quite  agitated,  and  her  color 
heightened  as  the  queen  Lily,  with  a  splendid 
train,  swept  in  with  such  a  calm  and  undis- 
turbed dignity.  First  after  the  queen  came  the 
water-lily,  who  wore  a  crown  of  gold  on  her 
head,  and  had  sailed  down  from  her  home  in 


THE  ROSE  AND  THE  LILY  81 

her  gondola.  When  the  queen  Rose  caught 
sight  of  her  she  whispered,  "  What  a  shame  it 
was  for  the  Lily  to  make  pretension  that  the 
water-lily  was  related  to  her  family,  when  every 
one  knew  well  enough  there  was  no  founda- 
tion for  it,  excepting  the  mere  accident  of  their 
having  the  same  family  name."  But  her  indig- 
nation went  far  beyond  this  when  she  saw  the 
fleur-de-lis  among  the  rest,  and  she  cried,  "  This 
is  unbearable;  he  is  of  a  French  family,  not 
in  any  wise  connected  with  her,  who,  I  do  not 
doubt,  she  urged  so  strongly  to  attend  her  that, 
with  the  good  breeding  and  politeness  for  which 
his  nation  is  so  celebrated,  he  could  not  refuse. 
She  now  caught  sight  of  the  lily  of  the 
valley,  and  exclaimed,  "  So,  so,  my  Lady  Lily 
condescends  at  last  to  take  notice  of  her  humble 
little  cousin,  who  has  lived  for  years  in  retire- 
ment, and  who,  no  doubt,  would  have  remained 
there  still  had  not  some  flowers  of  distinction 
noticed  her,  and  brought  her  forward.  I  was 
in  hopes  that  the  little  thing  would  have  had 
spirit  enough  to  reject  the  advances  made  to 
her  at  such  a   late  hour."      Notwithstanding 


82  THE  YULPJ  LOG. 

her  affecting  to  despise  the  pretensions  of  the 
Lily,  the  Rose  was  not  at  all  at  her  ease ;  she 
felt  that  as  the  Lily  sailed  around  the  circle, 
with  her  graceful  air,  she  was  a  rival  to  be 
feared,  and  was  not  so  sanguine  of  gaining  the 
victory  as  she  had  been.  She  saw  that  the 
placid  mien  of  the  queen  Lily  had  not  been 
without  its  effect  in  calling  forth  the  admiration 
of  those  present;  might  they  not  even  be  led 
to  overlook  the  beauty  which  she  felt  conscious 
far  exceeded  the  Lily's,  by  that  lady's  self-pos- 
session and  imposing  carriage.  At  any  rate, 
the  Rose  felt  uneasy,  and  was  quite  nervous, 
and  began  rather  to  repent  of  her  rashness  in 
thus  entering  into  the  lists  without  first  meas- 
uring the  resources  of  her  adversary. 

But  she  need  not  have  been  so  alarmed ;  the 
orange-tree  knew  too  well  what  he  was  about 
to  risk  his  standing  with  either  of  the  ladies 
by  siding  with  the  other,  so,  after  walking 
about  among  the  company,  and  holding  con- 
sultation with  one  and  another,  he  at  last  gave 
the  signal  for  the  guests  to  gather  round  the 
table,  and  partake  of  the  delicacies  that  were 


THE  ROSE  AND  THE  LILY.  83 

set  before  them.  After  their  glasses  liad  been 
filled  lie  raised  bis  voice,  and  proposed  as  a 
toast- — "  The  Queen  Rose  and  the  Queen  Lily ;" 
and  when  they  had  drunk  and  lowered  their 
glasses,  he  bowed  to  the  rivals,  and  addressed 
them  thus  : — 

"  Ladies,  when  you  compare  one  with  the 
other  you  both  do  yourselves  injustice.  The 
charm  of  the  Rose  is  her  bloom  and  warmth — 
that  of  the  Lily  her  exceeding  fairness ;  both 
of  you  are  pieces  of  perfection,  but  of  different 
casts.  Should  you,  Madam  (addressing  the 
Rose),  attempt  to  attain  the  whiteness  of  the 
Lily,  you  would  only  succeed  in  dimming  your 
natural  brightness ;  and  you  (to  the  Lily),  in 
striving  to  gain  the  glow  of  the  Rose,  would 
only  mar  your  purity  without  reaching  your 
desire.  Be,  therefore,  content  to  shine  resplen- 
dent each  in  the  way  that  nature  has  marked 
out  for  you,  and  be  not  envious  or  displeased 
that  another  excels  in  a  different  way.  Learn 
also  that  the  Rose  suffers  nothing  by  a  display 
of  the  perfection  of  the  Lily,  nor  the  Lily  by 
being  brought  into  comparison  with  the  Rose, 


84  THE  YULE  LOG. 

for  the  beauty  of  each  will  be  only  enhanced 
by  the  contrast." 

The  oleander  and:  the  other  flowers  all  con- 
curred in  the  sentiments  expressed  by  the  old 
orange-tree  ;  and  the  ladies  themselves,  though 
at  first  they  were  both  a  little  angry,  and  in- 
clined to  accuse  the  orange-tree  with  treachery, 
after  a  few  moments'  consideration,  acknow- 
ledged the  justice  of  the  remarks  just  made, 
and  the  Rose  came  forward  in  a  very  frank 
manner  and  gave  her  hand  to  the  Lily,  who,  on 
her  part,  received  the  concession  with  a  graceful 
friendliness.  After  they  had  partaken  of  the 
delicacies,  they  left  the  table  arm  in  arm,  and 
thus  promenaded  for  some  time  before  the 
admiring  gaze  of  the  assembly  ;  their  attendants 
followed  their  example,  and  the  Roses  and 
Lilies,  commingling  instead  of  standing  coldly 
apart,  gave  such  a  variety  and  animation  to 
the  scene  that  all  declared  there  never  had 
been  so  brilliant  a  fete  in  the  garden  as  this. 
The  oleander  was  so  inspired  by  the  scene  that 
he  quite  melted  from  his  apathetic  state,  and 
danced  and  laughed  with  the  best,  and  invited 


THE  ROSE  AND  THE  LILY.  85 

the  company,  before  they  separated,  to  a  ban- 
quet that  he  would  prepare  them  the  following 
week,  and  even  engaged  the  orchestra  in  attend- 
ance to  be  present. 

All  parted  with  the  greatest  kindness  and 
good  feeling,  and  the  amity  thus  commenced 
continued  through  their  lives,  and  resulted  in 
the  mutual  advantage  of  the  queen  Rose  and 
the  queen  Lily. 


86  THE  YULE  LOG. 


VII. 

THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK. 

There  once  lived  a  King,  who  had  reigned 
for  many  years  over  his  kingdom,  and  with  his 
Queen  was  idolized  by  his  subjects.  Only  one 
thing  was  wanting  to  make  his  happiness  com- 
plete. This  was  the  want  of  an  heir  to  his 
crown ;  and  when,  after  a  long  period  had 
elapsed,  contrary  to  all  expectations,  a  son  was 
born  to  him,  you  may  be  sure  there  was  great 
rejoicing  throughout  the  land. 

In  that  country,  as  in  many  others,  it  was 
the  custom  for  all  the  male  children  born  on 
the  same  day  with  the  heir-apparent  to  the 
crown  to  be  brought  up  with  him,  and  dented 
to  his  service.  They  were  educated  at  the 
expense  of  the  State,  and  the  parents  thought 
themselves  indeed  fortunate  in  having  their 
children  so  magnificently  provided  for  without 


THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK.  87 

exertion  on  their  own  part.  Amid  these  youths 
Prince  Anjah,  who  in  reality  was  a  paragon 
of  beauty,  stood  pre-eminent.  They  were  all 
fine  looking  and  noble  boys,  excepting  one,  the 
dwarfish  Balzebar,  who  was  ugly  in  counte- 
nance and  deformed  in  person,  and  of  so  weak 
an  intellect  that  he  was  almost  an  idiot.  He 
was,  beside  this,  both  deaf  and  dumb.  The  King 
was  going  to  reject  this  poor  little  mischance  at 
first,  but  the  Queen,  who  was  a  wise  and  benevo- 
lent woman,  represented  to  her  husband  that 
this  misfortune,  in  being  incapable  of  providing 
for  himself,  gave  him  a  more  especial  claim  on 
the  protection  of  his  sovereign,  and  besides  that, 
as  everything,  however  humble  and  despised, 
had  its  use,  this  unfortunate  child  might  perhaps 
be  destined  to  exert  gome  powerful  influence 
on  the  fortunes  of  their  son.  Her  words  made 
such  an  impression  on  the  King's  mind,  he  con 
sented  to  receive  Balzebar  with  the  rest,  to  the 
great  joy  of  his  parents,  who  would  not  other- 
wise have  known  what  to  do  with  him. 

As  the  children  grew  older,  Anjah,  who  was 
of  a  most  generous  and  noble  disposition,  took 


88  THE  YULE  LOG. 

Balzebar  under  liis  own  particular  care  and 
guardianship,  and  thus  prevented  poor  Balzebar 
from  being  harassed  as  he  would  have  been  by 
the  ridicule  of  his  more  unthinking  companions, 
who  delighted  in  tormenting  the  poor  soul,  and 
in  playing  their  tricks  upon  him.  Balzebar  in 
return  became  so  attached  to  Prince  Anjah, 
that  he  followed  him  about  everywhere,  as  a 
dog  might  have  done  his  master  who  was  kind 
to  him,  and  was  never  contented  away  from 
him.  It  was  a  curious  sight  to  see  the  tall  and 
finely-formed  Anjah  followed  everywhere  by 
this  little  stunted  and  ugly  dwarf. 

When  the  Prince  had  reached  his  eighteenth 
year,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  that 
time,  he  was  sent  to  a  foreign  country,  where 
learning  and  the  arts  were  in  an  advanced 
state,  to  be  educated.  All  the  young  men,  his 
followers,  accompanied  him,  even  Balzebar ; 
for  though  the  King  and  his  ministers  had  at 
first  decided  that  he  should  remain  at  home, 
fearing  that  the  constant  appearance  of  such 
an  inferior  personage  in  his  train  might  be 
prejudicial  to  the  dignity  of  the  young  Prince, 


THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK.  89 

yet,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Anjah  (who 
knew  that  the  faithful  creature  would  grieve 
himself  to  death  if  he  should  forsake  him),  he 
was  permitted  to  depart  with  them.  A  fine 
vessel  had  been  put  in  order  for  their  use,  and 
with  a  band  of  music  the  Prince  and  his  retinue 
were  escorted  to  the  place  where  it  was  in 
waiting.  Great  crowds  were  collected  on  the 
shore,  and  the  loud  huzzas  of  the  populace 
drowned  the  swelling  notes  of  the  trumpet  as 
their  Prince,  with  his  white  plumes  floating  to 
the  wind,  stepped  on  board  the  ship :  but  they 
could  scarcely  restrain  a  yell  of  contempt  and 
derisive  laughter  as  the  little  hump-backed 
mute  followed  after  him  up  the  plank  with  the 
agility  of  a  monkey.  Two  and  two  the  others 
embarked,  and  the  young  men  stood  on  the 
upper  deck  together  as  the  vessel  moved  off, 
and  waved  their  adieus,  till  at  last  the  helmet 
with  the  snowy  plumes,  which  was  the  distin- 
guishing mark  of  the  Prince,  could  no  longer 
be  seen. 

Anjah  felt  grieved  at  parting  with  his  pa- 
rents, and  as  his  father  was  quite  an  old  man, 


90  THE  YULE  LOG. 

he  thought  it  very  probable  that  he  should 
never  see  him  again,  for  he  was  to  remain  five 
long  years  away  from  home ;  and  the  tears,  in 
spite  of  his  efforts,  started  forth  as  he  saw  the 
King  watching  the  receding  vessel,  and  knew 
what  a  pang  his  heart  was  suffering  in  thus 
separating  from  his  child,  the  pride  of  his  old 
ao*e.  But  when  distance  shut  from  his  sight 
the  land  and  all  familiar  objects,  the  world 
seemed  as  it  were  opening  before  him,  full  of 
bright  promise ;  he  forgot  his  sorrow,  and  as 
the  bark  bounded  lightly  over  the  billows, 
his  heart  danced  within  him,  buoyant  with 
hope  and  pleasure.  After  a  short  and  pros- 
perous voyage,  they  came  in  view  of  the  beau- 
tiful land  which  was  their  destination.  They 
were  received  by  the  King  of  the  country  with 
distinguished  honor,  befitting  their  rank  and 
importance.  This  King  was  reputed  to  be  as 
wise  as  Solomon,  and  had  collected  to  his  court 
all  the  learned  men  of  the  world ;  and  hither 
were  sent  the  youth  of  high  rank  from  all 
nations,  to  learn  wisdom  of  these  sages.  But 
their  parents  would  have  done  well  to  have 


THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK.  91 

kept  them  at  home  out  of  harm's  way,  for  the 
high-spirited  young  men  who  flocked  to  this 
Temple  of  Minerva  thought  their  own  wisdom 
far  superior  to  that  of  the  sages,  and  held  all 
their  acquirements  in  very  light  esteem ;  and  if 
they  learned  anything  at  all,  it  was  the  know- 
ledge which  experience  gives,  which,  to  be  sure, 
is  the  very  best  sort  of  lore,  but  which  they 
might  have  acquired  just  as  perfectly  anywhere 
else. 

Anjah  had  not  been  long  there  before  he  be- 
came initiated  into  the  secret  that  Merea,  the 
King's  daughter,  was  the  most  beautiful  Prin- 
cess in  the  world,  and  he  pondered  much  more 
deeply  on  this  fact  than  on  the  philosophy  of 
the  schools,  and  he  strove  with  much  greater 
assiduity  to  be  the  successful  candidate  for  her 
heart  and  hand  than  for  the  prizes  offered  to 
the  victorious  scholar,  or  the  laurel  wreath  of 
the  poet.  As  he  was  far  handsomer  than  all 
her  other  suitors,  he  had  very  little  difficulty  in 
gaining  the  young  maiden's  particular  and  ap- 
proving notice.  His  agreeable  manners  became 
a  certain  passport  to  her  favor,  and  she  so  hon- 


92  THE  YULE  LOG. 

ored  him  above  the  rest,  that  Anjah,  conscious 
of  victory,  assumed  rather  a  high  and  triumph- 
ant air  among  those  who  were,  like  himself, 
captivated  with  the  King's  charming  daughter. 
He  spent  all  his  leisure  time  in  her  company, 
and  did  not  rest  easy  till  he  had  obtained  her 
father's  permission  to  address  his  daughter, 
which  he  found  little  difficulty  in  gaining,  for 
the  King  u  as  wise  as  Solomon,"  saw  very 
plainly  that  no  more  noble  son-in-law  would 
ever  be  likely  to  present  himself.  After  Anjah 
had  conversed  with  Merea,  and  found  the 
maiden  already  won,  he  sent  to  seek  his  father's 
consent  to  his  betrothal  to  her,  as  the  fame  of 
her  excellence  and  beauty  had  reached  him. 
The  King,  his  father,  could  think  of  no  more 
suitable  consort  for  his  son  than  a  Princess  so 
charming  and  of  such  a  high  rank,  so,  sending 
his  approval  and  blessing  to  his  son,  Anjah  and 
Merea  were  publicly  betrothed.  Then,  and  not 
till  then,  Anjah  applied  himself  sedulously  to 
the  study  of  the  sciences  which  should  fit  him 
for  governing  a  kingdom,  and  filling  with  dig- 
nity the  exalted  station  to  which  Providence 
had  destined  him. 


THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK.  93 

Three  years  passed  away,  and  Anjah's  im- 
provement in  mind  did  honor  to  his  teachers, 
and  to  his  own  perseverance  and  capacity ; 
two  years  more,  and  the  allotted  time  of  his 
exile,  (which  owing  to  the  society  of  JVIerea, 
had  been  anything  but  irksome,)  would  be  ful- 
filled, and  he  was  looking  forward  Jn  the  time 
when  he  should  return  with  his  bride  to  his 
native  land,  when  a  hasty  summons  came, 
commanding  him  to  speed  his  departure,  as  his 
father  was  lying  at  the  point  of  death,  and 
longed  once  more  to  see  his  son  alive.  Anjah 
delayed  not  a  moment  to  obey  the  call,  though 
his  heart  was  full  of  conflicting  emotions — sor- 
row at  being  obliged  to  leave  his  betrothed, 
mingled  with  anxiety  to  see  his  father  once 
more ;  and  bidding  adieu  to  the  many  friends 
that  his  kindness  and  affability  had  won,  he 
went  with  his  followers  down  to  the  vessel, 
which  had  been  sent  to  convey  him  home,  ac- 
companied by  the  King,  the  Princess  Merea, 
and  all  their  retinue.  The  King,  in  bidding 
him  farewell,  pronounced  a  blessing,  and  con- 
ferred on  him  many  valuable  presents  as  marks 


94  THE  YULE  LOG. 

of  his  favor ;  but  the  Princess,  when  she  parted 
with  him,  gave  him  only  one  keepsake,  but 
that  was  of  surpassing  richness  ;  it  was  a  cloak 
of  beaten  gold,  curiously  wrought,  of  the  purest 
metal,  so  elastic  and  pliable  that  it  fell  like 
a  mantle  over  his  shoulders ;  she  clasped  it  with 
her  own  hands  about  his  neck,  and  then  by 
signs  bade  Balzebar,  who  stood  beside  them,  to 
make  it  his  especial  care,  so  that  Anjah  should 
not  lose  or  be  robbed  of  it. 

In  the  time  of  their  sojourn  in  this  country, 
Balzebar  had  attached  himself  more  than  ever 
to  Anjah ;  and  Merea,  who  had  petted  him,  on 
account  of  his  attachment  to  the  Prince,  was 
looked  upon  by  the  dwarf  as  almost  as  great  a 
paragon  as  his  master, — indeed,  an  angel  of 
goodness.  She  became  so  associated  in  his 
mind  with  the  Prince  Anjah,  that  he  was  ever 
eager  to  do  her  bidding,  and  promised  to  take 
care  of  the  cloak,  and  suffer  no  one  to  take  it 
away ;  then  giving  Prince  Anjah  her  last  adieu, 
Merea  departed  with  her  father.  Anjah  assur- 
ing her  that  he  would  return  as  speedily  as 
possible,  and  make  her  his  wife.     When  the 


THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK.  95 

vessel  was  out  at  sea,  Anjali  and  his  compan- 
ions remained  on  deck,  pacing  up  and  down, 
or  looking  pensively  at  the  receding  shore, 
thinking  of  the  kind  and  fair  ones  that  they 
had  left  behind,  and  wishing  themselves  back 
again,  all  but  the  poor  mute,  Balzebar,  who  sat 
watching  Anjah,  with  his  cloak  glittering  in 
the  sun,  and  the  white  plumes  of  the  golden 
helmet,  which  he  always  wore,  fluttering  in  the 
breeze.  His  dull  eyes  were  half  dazzled  by 
the  light  which  was  reflected  on  this  shining 
mantle,  and  he  opened  and  shut  them  as  if 
basking  in  the  radiance.  When  night  came, 
and  the  Prince  had  divested  himself  of  his  gol- 
den helmet,  with  the  white  plumes,  and  the 
golden  cloak,  Balzebar  put  them  carefully 
away,  in  a  box  which  had  been  prepared  for  the 
purpose,  and  then  placing  it  under  his  head, 
for  a  pillow,  slept,  as  he  always  did,  like  a  great 
dog  at  the  feet  of  Prince  Anjah. 

About  midnight,  they  were  awakened  by  a 
terrible  noise ;  it  was  thunder,  mingling  with 
the  roaring  of  the  sea.  While  they  had  been 
sleeping,  a  most  terrific  storm  had  arisen,  and 


96  THE  YULE  LOG. 

bidding  Balzebar  follow  him,  Anjah  rushed  on 
deck.  The  elements  were  in  a  perfect  fury, 
the  ship  was  tossed  wildly  about  on  the  summit 
of  the  waves,  and  seemed  as  if  going  to  pieces 
with  the  strain.  Just  then  there  came  the  cry 
that  the  vessel  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  a  boat  was 
hastily  let  down,  into  which  the  Prince  and  his 
companions  were  hurried.  Beside  the  Prince 
on  deck,  gazing  on  all  with  wonder  and  dismay, 
Balzebar  had  stood,  till  seeing  Anjah  descend 
into  the  boat,  and  beckon  to  himself,  he  disap- 
peared. Yainly  they  called  him ;  he  could  not 
hear  their  cries  nor  answer  them.  Fearful  for 
their  own  safety,  none  of  the  crew  would  ven- 
ture in  search  of  him,  and  being  all  in  the  boat, 
they  pushed  off  lest  they  might  be  swamped 
beneath  the  vessel,  and  were  far  away  before 
Anjah  discovered  that  Balzebar  was  not  among 
them.  To  return  for  him  was  beyond  all  human 
power.  When  morning  light  appeared,  the 
storm  had  calmed,  yet  no  trace  of  the  vessel 
could  be  seen.  So  they  concluded  that  the 
ship  had  sunk,  and  that  poor  Balzebar  had 
made  his  grave  ere  now  in  the  ocean's  depths. 


THE   GOLDEN   CLOAK.  97 

With  great  exertions,  they  managed  to  bend 
the  course  of  the  boat  in  the  same  direction 
whence  they  came,  and  after  almost  incredible 
toils  and  dangers,  were  driven  by  the  wind  so 
near  the  shore,  as  to  be  picked  up  by  a  vessel 
bound  for  the  port,  and  carried  safely  to  land, 
where  they  were  welcomed  by  the  King  and 
the  Princess  Merea,  and  with  as  great  rejoicing 
as  if  they  had  been  restored  again  from  the 
dead.  And  now  Anjah  and  Merea  seemed 
doubly  dear  to  each  other,  and  she  mourned 
with  him  over  the  supposed  fate  of  the  poor 
harmless  and  faithful  Balzebar.  But  let  us 
leave  the  Prince  in  the  kind  keeping  of  the 
King  and  Princess,  while  we  see  what  was  in 
reality  become  of  the  lost  Balzebar. 

When  the  Prince  descended  into  the  boat, 
and  made  signs  to  Balzebar  to  follow  him,  the 
first  impulse  of  the  dwarf  was  to  obey  his  mas- 
ter ;  but,  remembering  the  box  which  contained 
the  royal  helmet,  and  the  golden  cloak,  he  ran 
below  to  secure  it.  It  took  him  a  long  time  to 
find  his  way  to  the  berth,  on  account  of  the 
darkness  and  the  motion  of  the  vessel,  and  when 


98  THE  YULE  LOG. 

at  last  he  readied,  the  deck,  the  boat  had  gone 
far  away,  out  of  his  sight.  Not  knowing 
what  to  do,  he  sat  clown  in  his  despair,  and 
fearing  every  moment  that  he  should  be  washed, 
overboard  by  the  waves,  made  preparations  to 
lash  himself  on  to  the  masts ;  but  ere  he  did  this, 
to  prevent  the  loss  of  that,  which  to  his  poor, 
weak  mind,  was  of  far  more  importance  than 
his  own  life,  the  golden  cloak  and  the  royal 
helmet  and  plumes,  he  placed  the  latter  upon 
his  head,  and  bound  it  firmly  on;  and  then 
taking  the  cloak  out  of  its  folds,  fastened  it 
securely  round  his  own  neck ;  it  was  intended 
to  cover  the  shoulders,  and  fall  to  the  knees  of 
Anjah;  but  it  sufficed:  to  envelop  the  whole 
form  of  the  dwarf,  even  to  his  very  feet ;  and 
now  with  this  rich  shroud  about  him,  he  lashed 
himself  to  the  mast,  just  in  time  to  be  saved 
from  an  impending  death ;  for  very  soon  the 
vessel  divided  asunder,  and  the  drifting  wreck 
to  which  Balzebar  was  attached,  was  tossed 
about  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves.  How  long 
he  remained  in  this  position  he  knew  not ;  he 
became  insensible  from  hunger  and  cold,  and 


THE   GOLDEN   CLOAK.  99 

would  no  doubt  have  soon  perished  had  not 
some  sailors  on  a  vessel  espied  a  glittering 
object  at  a  distance.  They  came  nearer  to  it, 
and  discovered  that  it  was  a  human  being 
clinging  to  the  masts  of  a  ship ;  and  rescuing 
him  from  his  perilous  situation,  and  seeing  the 
royal  garb  in  which  he  was  arrayed,  they  con- 
ceived that  he  was  some  great  prince,  and 
treated  him  in  a  manner  that  accorded  with 
such  a  supposition.  He  was  taken  on  board 
the  ship,  and  all  treated  him  with  the  respect 
and  deference  to  which  his  seeming  high  rank 
entitled  him.  When  he  reached  the  shore,  a 
proclamation  was  issued,  that  a  great  prince 
had  been  found  shipwrecked,  and  had  been 
rescued  in  his  royal  robes ;  his  person  was  also 
described  as  being  as  imposing  and  grand  as 
were  his  habiliments,  and  notwithstanding  that 
he  was  unable  to  speak  one  word,  or  make  any 
intelligible  sound,  but  kept  up  a  disagreeable 
sort  of  muttering,  no  one  seemed  to  discover 
that  he  was  at  all  wanting  in  intellect,  and  the 
proclamation  went  on  and  stated  his  mind  and 
accomplishments  to  be  equal  to  his  person.     It 


100  THE' YULE  LOG. 

was  only  necessary  For  him  to  make  his  ajDpear- 
ance  with  his  golden  cloak  about  him,  and  the 
helmet  with  the  white  plumes  on  his  head,  (and 
no  one  could  persuade  him  for  one  moment  to 
divest  himself  of  them,)  to  have  a  crowd  of 
adorers  follow  in  his  pathway  with  shouts  and 
huzzas. 

Indeed,  such  was  their  adulation,  that  they 
bore  him  about  in  a  sort  of  triumphal  car,  and 
he  became  the  people's  idol.  The  little  sense 
that  Balzebar  had  ever  been  blessed  with,  had 
nearly  all  been  lost  in  the  hardships  and  dan- 
gers to  which  he  had  been  exposed,  and  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  borne  about,  pleased  as 
a  child  might  have  been  with  a  pageant,  in 
which  he  himself  was  the  principal  object. 

At  last  the  account  of  the  finding  of  this 
wonderful  prince  in  the  golden  cloak  was  read 
at  the  court,  which  had  long  been  awaiting  the 
return  of  Anjah  and  his  suite,  and  when  his 
fine  person,  and  the  helmet  with  the  snowy 
plumes,  were  described,  his  subjects  and  friends, 
of  course,  felt  very  sure  that  it  was  no  other 
than  their  own  prince,  and,  as  the  country  was 


THE  GOLDEN  CLOAK.  101 

not  far  distant,  a  cavalcade  was  dispatched  to 
make  certain  of  the  truth,  and  to  attend  him  to 
his   home.     The  King  was  not   yet  dead,  but 
illness  had  so  impaired  his  intellect  that  he  had 
become  perfectly  imbecile  and  unfit  to  govern, 
and,  in  the  absence  of  any  acknowledged  head, 
the  affairs  of  the  State  were  getting  into  sad 
confusion.     When  the  messengers  arrived,  and 
were    shown   into    the  presence  of  Balzebar, 
although  at  first  surprised  to  find  that  he  could 
not  speak  one  word  to  them,  yet  the  moment 
he   arose   and   displayed   his    glittering  cloak 
before  their  eyes  they  felt  ready  to  fall  down 
at  his  feet,  and  acknowledge  him  their  prince. 
Besides,  the  royal  helmet  and  the  white  plumes, 
would,  of  itself,  have  been  sufficient  to  convince 
them,  if  there  had  been  no  other  proof;  so,  send- 
ing a  herald  before  them  with  the  joyful -news 
that  it  was  indeed  the  long-absent  one,  they 
prepared  to  escort  him  to  his  kingdom.     The 
Queen  could  not  leave  the  palace,  on  account 
of  the  weak  state  of  the  King,  her  husband, 
but  the  prime  minister  and  all  the  courtiers, 
with  crowds  of  the  common  people,  went  to  the 


102  THE  YULE  LOG. 

very  outskirts  of  the  kingdom  to  meet  the 
Prince,  and,  sending  her  love  .and  kind  mes- 
sages by  him,  the  Queen  sat  herself  down  to 
await  as  patiently  as  possible  the  arrival  of  her 
son.  When  the  prime  minister  was  shown  into 
the  presence  of  Balzebar  he  started  back  in 
astonishment,  "  Could  this  be  Prince  Anjah, 
this  stunted  being  ?"  yet  here  truly  was  his  hel- 
met and  his  snowy  plumes,  and  then  here,  too, 
was  his  cloak  of  gold  with  which  the  rest  of 
the  courtiers  were  so  blinded  that  they  never 
thought  for  a  moment  of  doubting  that  this 
was  their  prince  indeed,  but  were  as  loud  and 
instant  in  praise  of  his  fine  person  and  noble 
mien  as  all  others  had  been  before  them. 
Disgusted  with  their  shortsightedness,  the  prime 
minister,  who  was  wiser  than  the  rest,  and 
never  for  a  moment  supposed  that  a  noble  youth 
like  Anjah  could  have  become  this  deformed 
and  withered  thing,  whose  ugliness  no  cloak 
of  gold  could  conceal  from  him,  turned  to  ad- 
dress the  unconscious  cause  of  so  much  error ; 
instead  of  an  answer  came  a  low,  indistinct 
muttering  and  mystical  signs.    The  truth  flashed 


THE   GOLDEN   CLOAK.  103 

upon  the  mind  of  the  prime  minister — this  was 
Balzebar,  the  poor  little  idiot  mute,  and,  peer- 
ing beneath  the  helmet,  which,  with  the  plumes, 
concealed  his  countenance,  almost  as  much 
as  the  golden  cloak  did  his  person,  recog- 
nised the  dull,  unmeaning  eyes  and  the  expres- 
sionless mouth  of  the  poor  dwarf.  Keeping  his 
discovery  in  his  own  breast,  and  pretending  to 
share  in  the  delusion  of  the  rest,  he  prepared  to 
join  in  the  procession  which  was  to  attend  Bal- 
zebar to  the  palace,  but,  before  reaching  the 
gates  of  the  city,  under  pretence  of  hastening 
home  to  prepare  for  the  better  reception  of  the 
Prince,  he  obtained  leave  to  arrive  at  the 
palace  before  the  rest,  in  reality  to  reveal  his 
discovery  to  the  Queen,  and  to  prepare  her  mind 
for  the  great  disappointment  that  she  must 
feel,  in  not  being  able  to  welcome  her  son  to 
his  home.  She  wept  bitter  tears  when  he  told 
his  tale,  and  she  thought  of  the  probable  fate 
of  Anjah ;  but  she  was  a  high-souled  woman, 
and  bore  herself  in  her  misfortunes  like  a 
queen.  She  agreed  with  the  minister  that  it 
was  far  better  to  encourage  the  infatuation  of 


104  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  people  till  such  time  as  the  fate  of  Anjah 
should  be  decided,  than  to  allow  a  person  of 
more  energy  and  address  to  get  the  present  pos- 
session of  the  throne,  from  whom  it  would  be 
impossible  to  wrest  it,  if  he  should  still  be  alive. 
But  their  consultation  was  interrupted  by  the 
noisy  shouts  from  without,  which  warned  her 
of  the  approach  of  the  procession.  She  instantly 
recognised  Balzebar,  whom  she  received  as  if 
he  were  indeed  her  son,  and  he  was  installed 
at  once  in  the  Prince's  apartments  in  the 
palace,  where  all  did  him  homage ;  and  as,  day 
by  day,  he  used  to  show  himself  in  his  golden 
cloak  on  the  balconies,  his  subjects  became 
more  enthusiastic  than  ever,  and  would  greet 
him  with  shouts  that  rent  the  very  skies.  Pre- 
parations were  immediately  made  for  the  cere- 
mony of  the  coronation  of  the  Prince  (for  the 
King  seemed  to  be  past  all  hope  of  recovering 
his  reason),  which,  owing  to  the  liberality  of 
the  people,  who  loved  to  honor  their  idol,  was 
to  be  on  a  larger  scale  than  any  ever  before 
known,  and  the  whole  kingdom  seemed  united 
in  a  desire  to  do  homage  to  so  great  a  prince. 


THE   GOLDEN    CLOAK.  105 

About  this  time  one  morning  a  vessel  hove 
in  sight,  and  was  spoken,  and  from  the  replies 
it  was  gathered  that  in  it  was  the  Prince 
Anjah,  with  his  bride  the  Princess  Merea ;  that 
the  former  had  been  shipwrecked,  and  was 
now  returning,  with  all  his  train,  to  his  native 
land.  The  news  spread  like  wild-fire ;  great 
crowds  came  down  to  see  the  vessel ;  but  it  was 
at  once  determined  on  all  hands  that  the  new 
comer  was  an  impostor,  and  that  he  should  not 
be  allowed  to  land ;  indeed,  so  great  was  the 
indignation  manifested,  they  fired  upon  the  ship, 
which  hastily  withdrew  from  the  harbor  out  of 
their  reach.  What  must  have  been  the  feel- 
ings of  Anjah,  who,  after  years  of  absence  and 
escape  from  so  many  dangers,  was  thus  greeted 
on  coining  in  sight  of  his  native  shore,  which 
he  had  left  years  before,  followed  by  the  bless- 
ings of  the  people.  One  thing  was  very  cer- 
tain ;  it  was  folly  to  attempt  to  land  while  there 
was  such  a  feeling  of  opposition  abroad,  so 
they  removed  out  of  harm's  way,  and  the  vessel 
was  anchored  at  a  distance,  but  not  out  of  the 
view  of  all,  for  from  the  towers  of  the  palace 


10G  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  mother  of  Anjah  was  watching  the  ship,  for 
she,  as  well  as  the  prime  minister,  had  heard 
of  the  arrival  of  the  stranger,  and  all  clay  had 
been  maturing  their  plans  to  restore  Anjah  to 
his  home  and  his  rights,  and  were  only  waiting 
for  the  night  to  seek  the  vessel,  and  bring  him, 
his  bride,  and  his  companions  on  shore.  Ac- 
cordingly, as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  one  or  two 
devoted  servants  of  the  Queen,  who  were  en- 
trusted with  the  secret,  went  out  in  boats  till 
they  reached  the  ship,  and  there  revealed  to  the 
Prince  the  state  of  things  at  home,  and  pre- 
vailed on  him  and  his  followers  to  return  with 
them.  They  were  landed  as  secretly  as  pos- 
sible, and  gained  the  palace  without  detec- 
tion. Here  they  were  met  by  the  Queen 
and  the  prime  minister;  the  former  embraced 
her  long-lost  son  and  his  bride  with  the  most 
fervent  affection,  and  they  recounted  to  each 
other  all  the  trials  and  dangers  to  which  both 
had  been  subjected.  It  seems  that  Anjah  had 
remained  in  the  kingdom  of  Merea's  father  till 
a  vessel  had  been  fitted  up  for  him)  and,  fear- 
ing to  be  again  parted  from  Merea,  after  the 


THE   GOLDEN   CLOAK.  10? 

shipwreck,  which  had  so  nearly  sundered  them 
for  ever,  Anjah  had  determined,  ere  his  depar- 
ture, to  make  her  his  wife,  so  that  she  might 
accompany  him  to  his  home.  "When  the  ship 
was  in  readiness  the  nuptials  had  been  cele- 
brated, and  they  had  set  sail.  Anjah  recounted 
to  his  mother  and  the  minister  the  history  of 
the  shipwreck,  of  the  loss  of  Balzebar,  the  royal 
helmet  and  plumes,  and  of  the  golden  cloak. 
The  Queen  and  the  minister,  in  their  turn,  re- 
lated to  Anjah  the  subsequent  history  of  Balze- 
bar, the  infatuation  of  the  people,  and  that  on 
the  morrow  he  was  to  be  crowned  King  with 
great  pomp.  They  all  tried  to  devise  some  plan 
which,  if  adopted,  might  bring  all  things  to 
their  true  and  proper  position.  At  last  Anjah 
thought  of  a  way  of  revealing  himself  to  Bal- 
zebar, for  upon  a  public  recognition  of  him  by 
the  poor  dwarf  himself  seemed  to  hang  his  only 
chance  of  being  acknowledged.  The  night  was 
spent  in  revolving  this  scheme,  which  was  heartily 
approved  by  all. 

On  the  morrow,  early  in  the  morning,  a  great 
crowd  was  assembled  before  the  palace,  each 


108  THE   YULE   LOG. 

striving  to  be  foremost  to  get  a  place  where 
they  mi  glit  witness  so  august  a  ceremony.  All 
things  were  prepared  on  the  most  magnificent 
scale ;  music  resounded  in  peals  to  the  skies  ; 
trains  of  cavalry  and  infantry,  with  their  glit- 
tering arms  flashing  in  the  sun,  wTere  filling  in 
the  courts  ;  in  the  midst  was  a  platform  under 
an  awning,  on  which  was  placed  a  throne  pre- 
pared for  Balzebar,  and  when  all  was  in  readi- 
ness he  was  led  forth.  As  the  shouts  of  admi- 
ration went  up,  the  dwarf  lolled  idly  in  his  seat, 
and  toyed  with  the  golden  sceptre  that  was  pre- 
sented to  him ;  his  dull  eye  wandering  without 
expression  over  the  assembly.  Anjah,  in  dis- 
guise, placed  himself  in  front  of  him,  and  pre- 
sently, when  directly  in  his  line  of  vision,  raised 
the  cap  that  shaded  his  brow,  and  gave  him  a  full 
view  of  his  countenance,  at  the  same  time  fixing 
on  him  his  eye.  Balzebar  was  transfixed  with 
astonishment  for  an  instant ;  then,  with  a  cry  of 
joy,  rushing  forward,  tore  off  the  royal  helmet 
and  the  golden  cloak,  and  threw  them,  with  him- 
self, at  the  feet  of  Anjah.  A  low  murmur  arose 
from  the  crowd  as  the  well  known  and  despised 


THE   GOLDEN   CLOAK.  109 

dwarf,  Balzebar,  was  before  them,  revealed  in 
all  his  natural  hideousness.  At  this  moment 
the  prime  minister,  who  stood  near  at  hand, 
threw  the  cloak  of  gold  over  the  shoulders  of 
Anjah,  and  placed  the  helmet  with  the  white 
plumes  upon  his  lofty  brow,  and,  as  they  knew 
their  true  prince,  a  shout  so  triumphant  arose 
from  the  assembled  multitude  that  it  seemed 
like  the  breaking  of  thunder. 

No  farther  notice  was  taken  of  Balzebar,  but 
the  crown  was  placed  on  the  head  of  Anjah, 
who  now  brought  forward  the  Princess  Merea, 
and  presented  her  as  his  spouse,  and  their  future 
Queen.  The  whole  procession  returned  to  the 
palace,  in  which  Anjah  was  received  as  the 
reigning  prince.  The  King,  though  he  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  recognise  his  son,  remained 
still  too  weak  in  mind  to  admit  of  his  assuming 
the  reins  of  government,  which  he  quietly  re- 
signed to  his  heir,  and  passed  a  quiet  and 
peaceful  old  age,  cheered  by  the  kind  attentions 
of  his  Queen  and  his  daughter-in-law,  the  Prin- 
cess Merea,  to  whom  he  became  tenderly 
attached.     As  for  Balzebar,  he  returned  to  pri- 


110  THE   YULE  -LOG. 

vate  life  with  a  much  better  grace  than  many 
others  who  have  been  thrown  down  from  a  less 
exalted  position.  He  was  ever  an  intimate  of 
the  palace,  and  "was  appointed  by  the  King  as 
"  Keeper  of  the  Royal  Helmet  and  Golden 
Cloak,"  a  post  for  which  he  had  before  showed 
himself  particularly  fitted,  and  to  which  he 
thenceforth,  as  before,  remained  faithful.  He 
lived  long  enough  to  follow  the  son  and  daugh- 
ter of  the  Prince  and  Princess  as  he  had  done 
their  father  and  mother  before  them.  As  for 
Anjah  and  Merea,  they  ever  retained  the  good 
opinion  and  admiration  of  their  subjects,  and 
bequeathed  a  prosperous  and  peaceful  kingdom 
to  their  heirs. 


THE  WONDERFUL   BIRD.  Ill 


VIII. 

THE  WONDERFUL  BIRD. 

Oxce  upon  a  time  an  old  man  felt  himself  to 
be  dying,  and,  calling  his  family  (consisting  of 
three  sons,  named  Obed,  Mozam,  and  Sadoc) 
to  his  bedside,  took  leave  of  them  one  by  one, 
according  to  the  fashion  of  the  east,  and,  after 
recommending  to  their  joint  protection  an  aged 
uncle,  who  had  long  been  unable  to  take  care 
of  himself,  and  bidding  them  be  honest  and  in- 
dustrious, he  addressed  them  thus  : — "  My  sons, 
I  leave  you  in  possession  of  this  cottage,  its  fur- 
niture, and  a  small  amount  of  treasure  in  gold, 
the  fruits  of  many  years'  labor,  and  I  wish  you 
to  remain  here  like  brothers,  and  work  together 
in  amity  till  the  death  of  your  uncle,  so  that  he 
will  not  be  a  burden  upon  either  of  you  ;  besides 
this,  I  am  able,  by  means  of  the  power  which 
has  latterly  been  given  me,  to  foresee  future 


112  THE    YULE   LOG. 

events,  and  to  predict  that  to  one  of  you  will 
come  good  fortune  through  the  means  of  a 
wonderful  bird,  who  is  to  be  the  cause  of  this 
great  wealth.  To  which  of  you  it  is  to  come  I 
cannot  determine,  nor  is  it  of  much  importance 
that  you  should  know ;  it  is  only  required  of 
you  each  to  do  his  duty,  and  leave  all  the  rest 
to  Providence."  Obed  and  Mozam  were  de- 
lighted to  hear  this  good  news,  each  one 
secretly  thinking  himself  the  fortunate  one  ;  but 
poor  Sadoc,  who  was  the  youngest,  and  the 
most  dutiful  of  the  three,  was  so  grieved  at  the 
prospect  of  parting  with  his  dear  father,  who 
had  always  been  so  kind  and  indulgent  to 
him,  that  he  thought  little  about  this  prophecy, 
as  he  sat  by  the  bedside,  and  closed  the  eyes  that 
should  never  again  look  upon  him  with  the  light 
of  life  and  love. 

After  his  father  was  dead  he  sat  by  his  corpse 
till,  overcome  by  wearines  (the  result  of  pre- 
vious long  watching),  he  fell  asleep.  His 
brothers  had  retired  to  rest  early  in  the  even- 
ing, and  he  had  supposed  them  slumbering  for 
hours  before ;  but  about   midnight  the  eldest, 


THE   WONDERFUL   BIRD.  113 

Obed,  who  had  not  undressed  himself,  hearing  the 
deep,  regular  breathing  of  Sadoc,  which  assured 
him  that  he  would  not  easily  awaken,  stole  softly 
into  the  room,  and,  finding  the  keys,  took  the 
box  of  money  from  under  the  bed,  and  unlock- 
ing it,  secreted  all  the  gold  that  he  could  find 
in  his  pockets,  and,  taking  a  small  bundle  of 
clothes  in  his  hand,  started  off  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  leaving  the  body  of  his  father  still  un- 
buried  in  the  house. 

The  next  morning,  when  it  was  discovered 
that  Obed  had  gone,  and  that  the  strong  box 
had  been  robbed  of  all  its  treasure,  the  second 
son,  Mozam,  was  loud  in  his  exclamations 
against  the  wickedness  and  ingratitude  of  his 
elder  brother ;  but  Sadoc  felt  so  disgraced  by 
his  conduct  he  said  hardly  a  word  in  his  grief, 
but  silently  went  on  with  the  preparations  for 
his  father's  funeral,  and  had  him  interred  with 
all  the  appearance  of  decency  and  respect  pos- 
sible, in  the  absence  of  the  first-born  son,  he  who 
should  have  been  the  principal  mourner,  and  at 
night  retired  to  rest  less  sad,  from  feeling  the 
happy  consciousness  of  having  done  his  duty. 


114  THE   YULE   LOCI. 

And  now  it  was  shown  that  Mozam  was  in 
reality  no  better  than  his  brother  Obed,  for  no 
sooner  was  Sadoc  fast  asleep  in  his  own  bed 
than  the  second  brother  arose  and  let  into  the 
door  several  men  who  had  been  waiting  outside, 
and,  with  their  assistance,  loaded  a  cart  with 
all  the  effects  of  the  cottage  that  were  mov- 
able, and  drove  off  with  them  to  the  pawn- 
brokers, who  advanced  on  them  a  sum  of  money, 
with  which  he  made  off,  as  his  brother  had 
done  before  him.  When  Sadoc  arose  in  the 
morning  he  found  every  article  of  furniture 
missing,  with  the  exception  of  his  own 
and  his  uncle's  bed,  and  a  few  old  worthless 
pots  and  pans;  and  his  aged  relative  was  seated 
in  the  chimney-corner  on  an  old  settle,  gazing 
around  with  a  stare  of  dismay  on  the  scene  of 
devastation.  While  Sadoc  remained  shocked, 
speechless,  he  heard  a  sort  of  chuckling  noise, 
and,  looking  to  see  from  whence  it  proceeded, 
found  that  an  old  speckled  hen  had  stolen  a 
nest  in  some  wool  that  lay  under  the  seat  of 
his  uncle,  and  was  there  sitting  upon  a  large 
number  of  eggs.     Here,  thought   poor  Sadoc, 


THE   WONDERFUL  BIRD.  115 

is  another  mouth  to  feed,  and,  going  into  the 
granary,  picked  up  a  few  grains  of  corn  and 
some  seeds  which  he  threw  to  the  hen.  He 
then  sat  down  sadly  to  devise  a  plan  by  which 
he  could  get  bread  for  himself  and  his  helpless 
dependent.  Had  he  been  alone  there  would 
have  been  no  difficulty ;  the  wide  world  would 
have  been  before  him,  and,  with  his  energy  and 
perseverance,  he  could  soon  have  achieved  a 
fortune  without  the  intervention  of  any  won- 
derful bird,  and  he  must  now  give  up  any  hopes 
he  might  have  had  of  finding  it.  He  felt  that 
his  father's  last  injunction,  to  take  care  of  his 
poor  idiot  brother,  was,  now  that  his  elders 
had  both  proved  themselves  unworthy  of  their 
trusts,  doubly  binding  upon  him,  so  he  went  out 
and  hired  himself  to  the  first  master  that  he 
could  find,  as  a  common  laborer,  and  toiled 
hard  all  day  for  a  few  scanty  pennies,  which 
bought  just  bread  enough  to  keep  himself  and  his 
uncle  from  actual  starvation,  and  a  few  crumbs 
for  his  old  hen.  After  going  on  a  week  or  two  in 
this  way,  he  came  home  one  night  and  found 
the   hen   had   brought  out   a   large   brood   of 


116  THE   YULE   LOG. 

chickens.  He  had  now  to  work  harder  to  pro- 
cure them  a  little  food  also,  on  which  they 
seemed  to  thrive  ;  and  as  spring  advanced,  and 
the  warm  weather  came,  the  old  man  used  to 
let  them  out  of  the  coop,  and  wandered  with 
them  about  the  meadows,  where  they  picked 
up  worms,  grasshoppers,  and  such  seeds  as  they 
could  find,  and  they  grew  through  the  summer 
so  well,  that  by  the  time  of  the  Christmas  mar- 
ket, they  were  as  plump  as  partridges,  and  half 
of  them  sold  for  quite  a  little  sum  of  money, 
which  he  laid  by,  and  sold  the  eggs  of  the  re- 
maining ones  for  enough  to  pay  for  their  food 
during  winter.  In  the  spring,  most  of  them 
bringing  out  large  broods,  he  had  quite  a  lot  of 
chickens  for  the  fall  market,  and  eggs  to  sell  all 
the  summer,  so  that  he  found  after  several 
seasons  that  he  had  money  enough — the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  eggs  and  chickens — to  purchase  a 
little  spot  of  rocky  ground  close  beside  his  cot- 
tage, where  he  meant  his  uncle  should  amuse 
himself,  in  picking  up  stones,  and  planting  a 
few  turnips  and  cabbages.  Now  we  leave  him 
happy  and   contented,   though   in   poverty   so 


THE   WONDERFUL   BIRD.  117 

deep,  and  see  what  has  become  of  his  brothers, 
who  went  off  to  seek  the  wonderful  bird. 

On  the  night  that  Obed  had  stolen  away  with 
the  gold,  when  he  had  reached  an  eminence 
just  beyond,  he  looked  back  on  the  little  cot- 
tage, where  his  father's  body  lay,  and  where 
his  brothers  were  so  peacefully  sleeping,  and 
his.  conscience  smote  him  for  a  moment,  for  the 
wrong  which  he  was  doing  them  ;  but  quickly 
stifling  the  voice  within,  he  said  to  himself,  "  It 
is  now  too  late  to  return  and  replace  the  money ; 
I  should  probably  be  discovered,  while  doing 
it,  and  then  the  disgrace  would  be  the  same ; 
besides  I  shall,  no  doubt,  be  soon  able  to  give 
them  back  ten  times  the  value  of  that  I  have 
taken  with  me ;  for  when  I  obtain  this  wonder- 
ful bird,  which  is  to  make  the  fortune  of  one 
of  us,  and  as  I  am  the  oldest,  I  feel  certain  that 
it  is  my  own,  I  shall  come  back  again,  and 
enrich  them  all.  I  should  really  do  them  a 
greater  injustice  if  I  staid  at  home  till  this 
money  should  be  spent,  and  deprived  myself  of 
the  means  of  finding  it,  than  by  going  now, 
and  making  a  certainty  of  securing  it.     And 


118  THE  YULE   LOG. 

thus  having  succeeded  in  quieting  all  scruples, 
he  went  on  as  fast  as  he  was  able,  till  after 
several  days,  having  gone  a  long  distance,  he 
began  to  proceed  on  his  course  more  leisurely, 
without  fear  of  pursuit.     And  now  his  mind 
began  to  be  more  and  more  upon  the  wonder- 
ful bird,  and  he  listened  to  all  the  tales  of  trav- 
elers of  the  birds  of  Paradise,  and  of  the  de- 
sert bird,   of  the   owls   that   hooted   dismally 
through  the  woods,  and  the  nightingales  that 
cheered  the  darkness  with  their  melody.    Great 
Hocks  of  birds  passed  over  his  head,  eastward, 
and  westward,  and  southward;  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  plumage,  but  none  ever  stopped 
in  their  flight  to  point  him  to  the  treasure  that 
he  longed  for,  but  they  soared  away  out  of  his 
sight.     At  last,  after  a  long  time,  he  heard  of  a 
bird,  which  had  been  known  to  do  many  won- 
derful things.     It  was  said  to  have  it  in  its 
power  to  foretell  future  events;  had  pointed 
out  to  many  persons  the  places  where   they 
found  lost  money  and   goods,  and  was  in  all 
respects  a   most   remarkable  fowl.      "  Now," 
thought  Obed,  when  stories  of  its  superior  pow- 


THE   WONDERFUL   BIRD.  119 

ers  were  recounted  to  him,  "  I  am  coming  at 
last  to  the  object  of  my  desires ;  this  is  the  bird 
by  whose  means  I  am  to  realize  the  great  pre- 
diction made  by  my  father,  and  now  I  can  con- 
gratulate myself  upon  the  wisdom  of  the  course 
which  I  have  pursued,  in  putting  myself  in  a 
way  to  find  this  marvelous  creature.  I  might 
have  staid  at  home  all  my  lifetime,  and  have 
been  no  richer,  though  all  this  fortune  (the 
secret  of  which  this  bird  no  doubt  possesses,) 
stands  waiting  for  me."  So  losing  not  a  single 
moment,  he  set  off  to  the  place  where  it  was 
being  exhibited.  He  reached  an  inn  at  the  town 
that  same  night,  and  made  so  many  inquiries 
concerning  it,  as  to  awaken  the  attention  of  all 
present.  Among  the  rest,  stopping  at  the  tav- 
ern were  two  men,  who  seemed  disposed  to  be 
very  sociable  with  him.  They  treated  him  to 
drink,  and  professed  to  feel  a  great  and  sudden 
friendship  for  .him ;  they  threw  him  completely 
off  his  guard,  and  before  he  retired  to  bed  he 
had  told  them  all  about  the  prophecy  of  his 
father,  and  was  silly  enough  to  reveal  to  them 
that  he   carried   a  bag   of  money  with  him. 


120  THE  YULE  LOG. 

After  he  left  the  room,  they  sat  whispering 
together,  and  laughing  about  him,  and  then 
calling  him  a  great  fool,  as  he  was  to  be  sure, 
they  followed  him  to  bed  likewise.  Now  these 
two  very  men  belonged  to  the  company  that 
were  exhibiting  the  bird,  and  were  stationed 
at  the  inn  on  purpose  to  gain  all  the  informa- 
tion that  they  could  about  the  people  in  the 
town,  so  that  they  could  by  means  of  the  bird, 
convey  to  them  such  a  knowledge  of  their  own 
private  affairs,  as  to  surprise  the  credulous  at 
once  into  a  belief  of  its  supernatural  powers. 
They  had  got  all  the  information  they  wanted 
concerning  Obed,  and  early  in  the  morning 
left  the  inn,  to  get  the  conjurer  who  managed 
the  bird,  in  readiness  to  receive  him,  while  he 
lay  dreaming  of  being  in  a  world  where  every 
thing  was  turned  into  gold. 

As  soon  as  the  hour  appointed  for  the  per- 
formance of  its  magical  tricks  had  come,  Obed 
presented  himself  before  the  bird.  It  was  a 
macaw,  with  brilliant  plumage ;  under  its  feet 
was  a  plate,  marked  like  the  dial  of  a  clock ;  it 
would  walk  three  times  around  this,  and  pres- 


THE  WONDERFUL  BIRD.  121 

ently,  with  one  of  its  toes,  point  to  a  particular 
mark,  which  the  exhibiter  pretended  to  inter- 
pret and  explain.  When  Obed  stood  before  it, 
it  began  to  nutter  its  wings,  and  showed  great 
signs  of  agitation,  which  was  said  to  be  because 
it  was  going  to  predict  some  great  fortune  to 
him.  This  at  the  offset  so  prejudiced  Obed  in 
its  favor,  that  he  was  prepared  to  believe  every 
word  that  followed.  The  bird  then  walked  round 
the  dial  three  times  and  pointed  to  a  mark ;  the 
exhibiter  commenced  explaining  it.  At  first, 
he  repeated  as  much  of  Obed's  plans  and  his- 
tory as  the  two  men  had  picked  up  tne  night 
before,  which  gave  him,  in  the  course  of  fifteen 
minutes,  such  confidence  in  its  ability,  that  had 
the  bird  told  him  to  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea 
in  search  of  the  treasure,  he  would  have  been 
almost  stupid  enough  to  have  done  it ;  but  they 
told  him  no  such  thing,  for  they  were  not  at  all 
desirous  of  putting  him  out  of  the  way  till  they 
had  got  possession  of  his  bag  of  money. 

They  told  him  to  wait  till  night  came,  and 
then  to  go  alone  to  a  cave,  which  they  pointed 
out  to   him,  about   half   a  mile  distant  from 


122  THE  YULE  LOG. 

the  town,  through  the  woods,  where  he  would 
find  an  old  hermit,  who  would  meet  him,  and 
show  him  where  he  could  find  an  immense 
treasure.     They  then  dismissed  him. 

Obed  was  so  impatient  to  come  into  posses- 
sion of  his  wealth,  he  scarcely  ate  or  drank  all 
clay,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  set  off  in  search 
of  the  cave.  After  groping  about  for  a  long 
while,  and  falling  down  several  times,  he  came 
at  last  upon  it,  and  was  rather  surprised  at  not 
finding  the  hermit  in  waiting  for  him ;  but  see- 
ing a  torch  approach,  concluded  that  it  must  be 
he ;  but  was  soon  much  surprised  at  seeing  in- 
stead three  men,  two  of  whom  he  recognized 
as  the  same  who  had  been  the  night  before  at 
the  tavern.  They  came  upon  him,  and  sud- 
denly seizing  him,  gave  him  a  most  unmerciful 
beating.  They  then  bound  him  hand  and  foot, 
and  took  from  him  his  money ;  and  after  making 
themselves  merry  for  a  while  at  his  expense, 
left  him  lying  upon  the  ground  half  dead,  tell- 
ing him  that  no  doubt  the  hermit  would  come 
and  show  him  the  treasure  before  morning. 
Tli ere  he  lay  all  night,  moaning  and  crying, 


THE   WONDERFUL   BIRD.  123 

and  then  came  to  his  mind  thoughts  of  his  own 
undutiful  conduct,  in  leaving  his  brothers  un- 
provided for,  and  he  felt  that  he  was  only  justly 
punished  for  all  his  wickedness.  He  was  not 
only  half  frozen  with  the  cold,  but  was  in  a 
fright  lest  some  beast  of  prey  should  come  upon 
him  in  this  helpless  state,  all  bound  as  he  was, 
and  mangle  or  devour  him ;  but  he  was  relieved 
from  the  worst  of  his  fears  in  the  morning ;  for 
a  company  of  sailors  passing  that  way  going 
to  their  vessel,  found  him  in  this  pitiable  con- 
dition; they  helped  him  up  on  one  of  their 
mules,  and  bearing  him  to  the  inn,  from  whence 
he  had  come,  made  inquiries,  concerning  the 
two  men,  and  the  owners  of  the  bird,  but  found 
they  had  gone  off  early  the  evening  preceding ; 
and  though  great  exertions  were  made  by  the 
people  of  the  town,  almost  all  of  whom  had 
been  in  some  way  or  other  deceived  by  them, 
no  traces  of  them  could  be  found. 

Now  poor  Obed  knew  not  what  course  to 
pursue ;  he  had  no  money,  to  return  to  his 
native  home ;  and  even  if  he  had,  shame  would 
have  prevented  his  doing  so ;  he  therefore  ac- 


124  THE  VULE  LOG. 

cepted  the  offer  of  the  sailors,  that  he  should 
join  them,  and  go  on  board  the  ship;  and  while 
he  is  passing  a  life  of  toil  and  hardship  upon 
the  perilous  ocean,  let  us  go  back  and  trace 
out  the  history  of  his  second  brother,  Mozam. 

As  soon  as  he  left  his  home,  he  went  directly 
to  a  neighboring  seaport,  and  embarked  in  a 
vessel  that  was  going  to  the  coast  of  Africa, 
as  if  thinking  that  the  farther  he  got  from  his 
home,  the  greater  would  be  the.  chances  of  his 
finding  the  bird  of  promise.  After  reaching 
the  land,  he  roamed  about  from  place  to  place, 
'till  nearly  all  his  money  had  gone,  and  yet  no 
richer  or  wiser.  Multitudes  of  birds  of  every 
shape  and  hue,  daily  passed  before  his  eyes. 
At  last  he  fell  in  with  a  company  who  were 
crossing  the  desert  in  a  caravan,  and  many 
strange  sights  were  seen  by  Mozam.  Nothing 
awakened  his  wonder  so  much  as  the  gigantic 
ostriches  that  ran  much  swifter  than  horses 
over  the  sands.  "  Surely,"  thought  he,  "  what 
creature  is  more  capable  of  revealing  any  know- 
ledge or  mystery  to  man  than  this — what  bird 
could  be  one-half  so  wonderful;  this  must  be 


THE   WONDERFUL  BIRD.  125 

the  creature  that  is  to  exercise  such  an  influ- 
ence over  my  fortunes."  But  yet  nothing  occur- 
red, day  after  day,  to  confirm  his  hopes  of  their 
being  able  to  assist  him,  though  hundreds  of 
them  passed  daily  before  him. 

But  one  day,  one  of  these  creatures  who 
seemed  very  tame,  came  near  the  caravan,  and 
allowed  itself  to  be  fed,  caressed,  and  petted 
by  the  company,  which  excited  much  wonder ; 
but  above  all,  they  were  surprised  at  finding  a 
string  hung  with  bits  of  gold  and  shells  about 
its  neck,  and  no  one  could  explain  this  strange 
problem.  But  Mozam,  although  he  kept  his 
convictions  secret,  was  satisfied  in  his  mind  as 
to  the  meaning  of  it.  So  in  the  morning  before 
any  else  were  stirring,  he  stole  off  to  the  inclos- 
ure  where  the  animal  had  been  confined,  and 
mounting  upon  its  back,  he  let  it  go  free.  It 
flew  off  with  such  speed  that  he  could  at  first 
hardly  contrive  to  hold  himself  on ;  but  by  de- 
grees he  became  accustomed  to  its  motion,  and 
maintained  his  seat.  To  say  that  he  felt  no 
fear,  while  this  immense  creature  was  sweeping 
along  with  him  over  the  trackless  wastes,  would 


126  THE   YULE  LOG. 

be  untrue ;  but  lie  felt  quite  sure  that  it  was 
sent  as  the  harbinger  of  his  good  fortune,  and 
that  the  gold  around  its  neck  was  a  sure  indi- 
cation of  its  being  able  to  conduct  him  to  a 
mine  of  that  precious  metal.  So,  blinded  by 
ambition  to  the  danger  of  his  situation,  he  con- 
tinued on  till  the  ostrich  ran  with  him  into  a 
camp  of  Bedouins,  from  whom  the  bird  had 
wandered ;  a  set  of  wild  people,  the  very  last 
whom  Mozam  would  have  desired  to  have 
encountered ;  and  from  whose  mercy  he  had  so 
little  to  hope.  He  looked  every  moment  for 
them  to  strike  him  dead,  but  instead  of  this, 
they  only  amused  themselves  in  tormenting 
him  to  see  him  writhe,  which  was  almost  worse 
than  death.  As  these  people  subsisted  upon 
raw  flesh  and  roots,  he  was  almost  starved,  and 
as  they  were  constantly  fighting  with  other 
barbarous  tribes,  his  life  was  all  the  time  in 
danger.  Here  was  a  fine  end  to  all  his  ambi- 
tious  schemes,  and  he  had  plenty  of  leisure  and 
cause  to  repent  his  early  misconduct.  He  had 
brought  ruin  upon  his  own  head.  So  miserable 
was  he  among  these  barbarians,  he  was  several 


THE  WONDERFUL  BIRD.  127 

times  on  the  point  of  making  way  with  himself, 
lie  continued  in  this  miserable  state  of  exist- 
tence,  till  at  last,  tired  of  carrying  him  about 
with  them,  these  people  sold  him  as  a  slave  to 
the  Barbary  States ;  and  here  let  him  remain, 
while  we  contiuue  the  history  of  Sadoc. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  with  the  money 
that  he  had  saved  he  purchased  a  small  lot. 
On  digging,  it  was  found  to  contain  a  quarry 
of  valuable  stone,  which  he  immediately  set 
about  getting  out  in  order  for  sale,  and  it  yielded 
such  a  quantity,  and  sold  at  so  high  a  rate,  that 
he  soon  began  to  be  a  capitalist,  and  able  to 
enter  into  speculations,  which,  proving  success- 
ful, he  soon  found  himself  above  want,  and  in 
time  became  the  largest  landed  proprietor  in 
the  country.  He  now  built  a  iine  mansion 
where  his  father's  old  cottage,  which  was  pulled 
down,  had  stood,  and  married  a  lady  as  wise 
and  prudent  as  himself,  and  with  as  noble  a 
family  of  children  around  him  as  one  could 
desire,  he  enjoyed  as  great  an  amount  of  happi- 
ness as  generally  falls  to  the  lot  of  man.  The 
fame  of  his  benevolence  spread  abroad,  and  he 


128  THE  YULE  LOG. 

was  more  respected  for  his  integrity  than  any- 
other  person  in  the  country.  Notwithstanding 
all  the  honors  that  were  showered  upon  him, 
he  never  forgot  his  duty  to  his  poor  old  uncle, 
who  used  to  sit,  as  he  had  ever  done,  in  the  warm 
chimney-corner,  the  long  winter  days  and  nights, 
and  doze  away  his  life  with  the  old  speckled 
hen,  who  was  aged  like  himself,  in  her  nest 
beside  him. 

During  all  this  long  time  he  had  heard  noth- 
ing from  his  brothers,  and  often  wondered  what 
had  become  of  them,  and  which  of  them  had 
found  the  bird,  according  to  his  father's  predic- 
tion. 

One  evening  about  this  time,  at  the  entrance 
of  the  town  where  Sadoc  resided,  a  poor  sailor 
was  seen  coming  wearily  along.  He  sat  him- 
self upon  a  stone,  and  seemed  overcome  with 
his  emotions.  The  tears  stole  down  his  cheeks, 
and  he  looked  as  if  he  could  not  advance  a  step 
further.  "While  he  sat  there,  another  traveler, 
in  very  nearly  the  same  plight  as  himself,  came 
up  with  him.  The  last  comer  was  a  tall,  dark 
man,  who   seemed  to  have  been  bronzed  by 


THE  WONDERFUL  BIRD.  129 

exposure  to  the  sun.  Seeing  each  other  in  a 
like  sad  condition,  they  entered  into  conversa- 
tion ;  then  at  last  it  came  out  they  were  the 
brothers,  Obed  and  Mozam,  one  of  whom, 
worn  out  with  voyaging,  had  left  his  vocation 
of  mariner  to  find  an  asylum  in  the  poor-house 
of  his  native  town  ;  the  other,  who  had  escaped 
from  slavery,  and  toiled  his  way  along  on  foot 
for  miles  and  miles,  was  coming  for  the  same 
purpose.  They  rushed  into  each  other's  arms, 
and  shed  tears  of  pity  at  the  sorrowful  case  in 
which  each  found  the  other,  and  then,  feeling 
not  quite  so  lonely,  they  went  on  together  into 
the  town.  They  bent  their  course  toward  the 
spot  their  boyhood  had  known  so  well,  where 
the  old  cottage  had  stood.  In  its  place  was  a 
splendid  mansion,  at  which  they  gazed  for  a 
few  moments,  and  were  about  to  turn  away, 
when  a  friendly  voice  hailed  them,  and  arrested 
their  retreating  footsteps  ;  and  when  they  said 
that  they  were  travellers,  without  food  or  place 
of  shelter,  they  were  led  into  an  apartment 
where  a  warm  fire  was  blazing,  and  were  re- 
quested  to  seat  themselves  while   a   servant 


130  THE  YULE  LOG. 

should  procure  them  some  food.  Obed  started 
back  in  amazement  as  he  caught  sight  of  a 
figure  seated  in  the  chimney-corner,  and  ex- 
claimed, "  My  poor  old  uncle,  yet  alive  and 
here."  Mozam  knew  him  at  the  same  time, 
and,  turning  round  as  the  master  of  the  house 
entered,  recognised  in  him  Sadoc,  their  brother 
(for  he  had  not  changed  half  as  much  as  them- 
selves), and  whispered  his  discovery  to  Obed. 
They  consulted  apart,  and  feared  to  reveal 
themselves  lest  he  should  spurn  them  on 
account  of  their  poverty,  their  former  miscon- 
duct, and  his  present  grandeur ;  but  ere  long 
their  feelings  overpowered  them  ;  they  fell  down 
at  his  feet,  and  asked  his  forgiveness  and  his 
pity. 

Sadoc,  though  at  first  he  could  hardly  believe 
that  this  poor  worn  sailor  was  his  brother 
Obed,  and  still  less  that  the  dark  and  haggard 
man  was  the  once  handsome  Mozam,  yet  he 
was  convinced  of  the  truth.  He  pardoned  them 
freely,  and  wept  tears  over  their  misfortunes, 
and  promised  them  they  should  never  want  a 
home  while  he  was  able  to  give  them  one.     All 


THE  WONDERFUL   BIRD.  131 

night  long  Obed  and  Mozam  sat  by  the  fireside 
recounting  their  adventures  to  their  brother, 
and  at  last,  when  they  had  told  all,  Sadoc 
spake,  and  said,  "  How  strange  that  the  pro- 
phecy of  our  father  should  not  yet  have  been 
fulfilled  ;  the  wonderful  bird  has  not  been 
found."  At  this  the  old  uncle,  who  had  all  the 
while  been  dozing  in  the  corner,  suddenly 
roused  up,  and  said,  pointing  to  the  old  hen 
beside  him,  "  This  is  the  wonderful  bird,  and 
the  founder  of  your  good  fortune, "  and  directly 
relapsed  into  his  stupor.  The  truth  then  flashed 
upon  the  mind  of  Sadoc,  and  when  he  related 
to  his  brother  the  history  of  the  hen,  it  was  as 
clear  to  their  minds  as  to  his  own,  that  it  was 
to  her  that  his  father's  prediction  related,  and 
that  this  was  the  bird  that  was  to  bring  such 
riches  to  the  family.  They  saw  that  honesty, 
and  a  careful  attention  to  duty,  was  more  likely 
to  bring  a  man  to  prosperity  at  last,  than  roguery 
and  selfishness.  But,  as  they  had  paid  so  dearly 
for  their  early  misdemeanors,  they  were  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  rest  in  the  house  of  Sadoc, 
where  they  recovered  in  some  degree  from  the 


132  THE  YULE  LOG 

effect  of  their  hardships  and  sufferings,  and 
were  contented  and  happy.  As  for  the  old 
uncle,  he  died  shortly  after  this  ;  and  the  old 
speckled  hen  about  the  same  time  departed 
this  life  ;  but  Sadoc  never  forgot  his  gratitude 
for  her  services,  though   he   lived  to  a  great 


THE   MERMAID  AND  HER   CHILD. 


IX. 

THE  MERMAID  AND  HER  CHILD. 

A  mermaid  was  sporting  on  the  surface  of 
the  ocean  ;  in  her  arms  was  her  babe,  which 
she  nourished  at  her  breast,  as  a  human  mother 
would  have  done  her  own  offspring.  While 
she  was  lightly  rocking  to  and  fro,  a  ship  came 
in  sight,  running  before  the  wind,  the  keel 
ploughing  the  white  foam,  sails  unfurled,  and 
streamers  flying.  The  mermaid  knew  not  what 
it  was — she  thought  it  might  be  a  huge  sea 
monster ;  never  before  had  she  seen  aught  like 
it,  for  her  home  was  in  those  unfrequented  seas, 
which  the  ships  of  men  have  not  explored. 
She  gazed  awhile  on  it  in  wonder,  retreating, 
but  with  her  eye  still  fixed ;  while  thus  lost  in 
astonishment  and  awe,  an  enormous  shark, 
that  had  been  watching  her,  came  swiftly,  and 
snatched  the  infant  from  her  arms,  and  ere  she 


134  THE   YULE   LOG. 

was  aware,  bore  it  beneath  the  surface.  The 
mother  immediately  dived  in  pursuit,  but  came 
in  sight  only  in  time  to  see  the  young  one  de- 
voured by  a  hundred  voracious  creatures,  like 
that  which  had  torn  it  from  her  ;  and  she  barely 
escaped  from  them  with  her  own  life.  In  her 
agony,  not  heeding  whither  she  went,  all  day 
long  she  kept  in  the  path  of  the  vessel,  and 
midnight  found  her  still  following  it,  in  a  furi- 
ous storm,  which  she  fearlessly  and  stoutly 
breasted.  The  sea  was  her  native  element, 
and  the  raging  of  the  waters  was  like  music 
to  her  ear.  At  last  shrieks  from  the  ship  roused 
her  from  the  apathy  into  which  her  grief  had 
plunged  her,  and  looking  up,  she  saw  the  tall 
masts,  which  had  seemed  to  reach  the  very 
skies,  broken  and  dismantled,  and  the  vessel 
itself  about  to  dash  upon  the  rocks,  from  which 
it  had  no  power  of  escaping.  But  ere*  this,  a 
boat  had  been  lowered,  and  living  beings, 
whose  forms  were  wonderful  and  strange  to 
her,  (by  the  aid  of  a  rope,)  had  been  let  down 
from  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  placed  safely 
within  it.     At  last    a   mother    and   her   child 


THE   MERMAID  AND  HER   CHILD.  135 

together,  in  descending,  missed  the  tossing 
bark,  and  both  fell  into  the  sea.  The  mother 
was  quickly  rescued,  but  her  babe  had  fallen 
from  her  arms,  and  sank  out  of  her  sight ;  and 
the  sailors  were  forced,  notwithstanding  the 
beseeching  petition  of  the  agonized  mother,  to 
push  off  and  leave  it  to  its  fate,  or  the  boat, 
and  all  in  it,  would  have  been  swamped  in  the 
whirlpool,  which  drew  in  all  surrounding  ob- 
jects, as  the  vessel,  which  presently  was 
dashed  in  pieces,  rapidly  filled,  and  sank  into 
the  depths  of  the  ocean.  The  mermaid  saw 
all,  and  diving  below,  she  received  the  babe  in 
her  open  arms,  and  on  beholding  its  beautiful 
and  innocent  countenance,  she  rejoiced  over  it, 
as  if  she  had  found  a  treasure,  and  tenderly 
nourishing  it  and  hushing  its  cries,  she  bore  it 
far  away  to  her  home  in  those  unknown  seas, 
from  which  she  had  wandered.  Here  amid  the 
labyrinths  of  waters,  spring  up  tiny  islands  of 
coral,  covered  with  verdure,  high  above  the 
reach  of  the  floods,  which  dash  around  them. 
On  one  of  these,  scarcely  larger  than  the  cradle 
which  it  was  to  imitate,  the  mermaid  made  a 


13G  THE  YULE  LOG. 

bed  for  the  little  charge,  and  a»  in  this  clime, 
"eternal  summer  reigns,"  she  left  the  child 
sleeping  warmly  and  securely  beneath  a  large 
spreading  tree,  which  protected  it  from  the 
sun,  and  fanned  its  slumbers  with  broad  green 
leaves,  while  she  sought  her  companions  and 
her  boy  Rosond,  whom  she  found  near  the  spot, 
and  who  welcomed  her  with  joy,  after  her  long 
absence.  Curiously  they  looked  upon  the  little 
daughter  with  the  blue  eyes  and  fair  brow ; 
and  not  doubting  that  it  was  her  own  infant, 
born  during  her  absence,  they  could  but  be 
amazed  at  its  strange  form,  and  in  their  hearts, 
pitied  the  poor  mother,  whose  little  one  would 
undoubtedly  soon  perish,  as  it  would  never  be 
able,  like  their  own  offspring,  to  paddle  about 
or  to  live  in  the  waters  without  assistance. 
Little  the  mother  regarded  or  seemed  to  need 
their  sympathy ;  she  appeared  quite  happy  and 
contented  in  what  they  considered  her  great 
affliction ;  and  wondering  at  her  insensibility, 
they  left  her  alone  with  her  children. 

The   little   Corala,  for   so   her   sea-mother 
named  her,  throve  under  the  watchful  care  of 


THE    MERMAID  AND  HER   CHILD.  137 

the  mermaid  and  the  boy  Rosgncl,  one  or  the 
other  of  whom  was  forever  with  her,  bearing 
her  about  in  their  arms  on  the  sunny  waters, 
or  from  island  to  island.  Sometimes  they  would 
dive  with  her,  for  a  moment,  beneath  the  sea, 
then  would  hold  her  aloft,  with  the  water  drip- 
ping from  her  form,  at  which  she  would  toss 
her  dimpled  arms,  and  shout  with  laughter. 
She  soon  began  to  creep  about,  then  stand  upon 
her  feet  and  move  in  a  strange  sort  of  way ; 
and  the  mother,  trembling  to  see  her  totter, 
never  left  her  for  a  moment,  for  fear  of  losing 
her.  She  was  often  thrown  into  great  distress, 
as  Corala,  stealing  off  in  spite  of  her,  would 
roguishly  hide  herself  among  the  bushes  where 
her  mother  and  brother  (who  could  not  move 
at  all  on  land,  but  were  only  able  to  creep  near 
her,  sailing  by  the  edge  of  the  island)  could 
not  see  her,  or  reach  her ;  but  as  she  always 
presently  relieved  their  fears  by  returning  to 
them  and  throwing  herself  into  their  arms,  the 
mother  soon  began  to  feel  more  confidence  in 
her  ability  to  take  care  of  herself.  As  she 
grew  older  she  was  allowed  often  to  venture 


138  THE   YULE  LOG. 

out  of  sight,  on  her  promising  to  return  to  them 
soon ;  and  as  no  harm  ever  happened  to  her, 
they  frequently  bore  her  from  the  little  isle  of 
infancy  to  larger  ones — which  she  explored  to 
their  centers ;  and  after  having  been  gone  for 
hours,  would  return  to  her  friends  laden  with 
berries  and  fruits,  which  she  found  much  more 
to  her  taste  than  the  sea-food  that  had  hereto- 
fore formed  her  nutriment.     She  learned  also 
in  time  to  swim,  where  the  waters  were  not 
very  deep,  and  used  to  accompany  Rosond  on 
little  aquatic  expeditions;  though  ever  when 
she  grew  tired  of  her  exertions,  he  wrould  carry 
her  in  his  arms  till  she  reached  a  place  of  rest. 
By  the  time  that  she  had  reached  her  thir- 
teenth year  she  had  gone  over  all  the  islands 
that  lay  around,  and  found  these  fairy  realms 
peopled   with   birds   and  butterflies,  and-  the 
smaller  sort  of  animals,  such  as   rabbits  and 
squirrels,  who  soon  came  to  know  her,  and  to 
leap  in  her  pathway  without  fear.     She  moved 
about  among  them  like  a  queen  amid  her  sub- 
jects ;  and,  like  a  queen,  indeed,  she  looked,  for 
on  her  brow  she  wore   a   diadem  of  precious 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  139 

gems,  which  Rpsond  had  brought  from  the  depths 
of  the  ocean.  Her  robe,  like  that  of  the  mer- 
men and  mermaids  around  her,  was  made  of 
the  variously  and  gaily-colored  seaweed,  which 
formed  a  silken  scarf  for  her  shoulders,  and  a 
petticoat,  reaching  just  below  the  knees,  such  as 
was  generally  worn  by  these  people  of  the 
waters,  which  left  her  fair  arms  and  gleaming 
feet  bare  in  their  beauty.  Thus  shining  and 
sparkling  in  the  sun,  she  would  sit  on  the  shore 
and  arrange  the  beautiful  flowers,  with  which 
the  islands  abounded,  into  nosegays  of  magic 
grace,  to  present  to  such  of  Rosond's  playfel- 
lows as  came  to  visit  him,  and  the  strange 
little  sister,  of  whom  he  was  so  fond,  and  with 
whom  he  had  rather  spend  his  hours  than  to 
join  them  in  their  frolicksome  sports,  chasing 
the  gold-fish  through  the  sparkling  waves,  and 
leaping  high  in  the  air,  in  their  wild  glee. 
Rosond  loved  to  watch  the  varying  expression 
of  her  eyes,  and  ever  seemed  to  regard  her  as 
a  superior  being ;  and  the  mother,  too,  when 
the  mermen  and  mermaids  commiserated  the 
unfortunate  one  who  was   deprived,   by  what 


140  THE  YULE  LOG. 

they  considered  her  deformity,  of  many  of  their 
sources  of  enjoyment,  felt  a  proud  and  happy 
consciousness  (though  she  kept  her  secret  to 
herself)  that  her  child  was  one  of  those  immor- 
tal natures  of  whom  the  sages  of  their  race  had 
recorded  such  wonders.  Yet  her  heart  began 
to  fail  her  as  Corala  grew  to  womanhood,  and 
the  fear  that  perhaps  the  truth  might  some  day 
burst  upon  the  mind,  whose  workings  terrified 
her,  unused  as  she  was  to  tjie  operations  of 
human  reason,  and  she  trembled  for  the  reve- 
lations that  such  a  spirit  might  be  capable  of 
making  when  it  reached  its  maturity.  As  her 
mind  expanded  she  constantly  sought  food  for 
its  inquiring  activity,  and  became  much  in- 
terested in  the  tales  of  worlds  beyond  the  waters, 
peopled  by  a  race  of  mortal  immortals,  having 
perishable  bodies,  but  spirits  that  must  live 
for  ever ;  and  her  brother  Rosond,  inspired  by 
her  earnestness,  became  almost  as  eager  as  her- 
self to  unravel  the  secrets  of  their  existence. 
Yet,  whenever  in  their  mother's  presence  they 
broached  this  topic,  she  checked  their  inquiries 
with  such   an   unusual  tone   of  disquiet   and 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  141 

sternness,  that  it  had  the  very  opposite  effect 
on  the  minci  of  Corala  from  that  the  mermaid 
intended,  by  giving  to  the  subject,  by  this  ap- 
pearance of  mystery,  a  peculiar  and  romantic 
interest.  And,  notwithstanding  that  the  theme 
was  for  ever  at  rest  while  with  the  mother,  yet, 
when  alone  with  Rosoncl,  Corala  gave  loose 
reins  to  her  fancy ;  but,  in  answer  to  her  ques- 
tions and  conjectures,  Rosond,  who  had  never 
been  allowed  by  his  mother  to  go  beyond  his 
native  seas,  could  only  repeat  to  her  the  vague 
and  unsatisfactory  talk  of  those  almost  as  igno- 
rant as  himself. 

As  Corala  grew  older,  her  sympathy  with  the 
beings  about  her,  with  the  exception  of  her 
mother  and  Rosond,  diminished ;  as  for  the 
former,  though  she  did  not  understand  the 
thoughtfulness  that  sat  on  the  brow  of  her 
child  and  shadowed  her  birth,  the  soul's  lono-- 
ing  for  sympathy  from  responsive  spirits,  yet, 
so  great  was  her  love  and  her  gentleness 
towards  her,  that  Corala.  clung  to  her  with  the 
same  affection  she  would  have  done  to  her  own 
natural  mother.     As  for  Rosond,  so  constantly 


142  THE  YULE  LOG. 

was  he  in  companionship  with  his  sister  that 
his  mind  became  in  time  assimilated  to  hers, 
and,  from  having  ever  in  contemplation  a  higher 
order  of  intellect,  the   society  of  his   former 
associates  became  as  distasteful  to  him  as  to 
Corala.     Soon  they  were  left  almost  entirely  to 
themselves,  and  the  mother,  satisfied  at  seeing 
them   happy — to  all   appearance  happy — left 
them  free  to  roam  together  where  they  would, 
never  dreaming  that  Corala  nvas  for  ever  talk- 
ing of  the  worlds  beyond,  and  of  the  beings  that 
peopled  them.     But  so  it  was ;  and  as  time  ad- 
vanced Rosond  had  the  grief  of  seeing  his  dear 
sister  pining  away  under  the  influence  of  the 
unspeakable  longing  that  possessed  her,  and,  in 
his  anxiety  to  relieve  it,  he  formed  a  plan  which 
he    imparted  to  Corala,  by  means   of  which 
together  they  would  be  enabled  to  know  more 
of  those  countries  towards  which  Corala's  heart 
seemed  ever  to   be   yearning.      Accordingly, 
when  all  at  night  were  in  their  resting  places, 
sunk  in  sleep,  Rosonci,  with  Corala  in  his  arms, 
were   sailing   on   the   seas   making  such  dis- 
coveries as  was  in  their  power,  and  each  morn- 


THE   MERMAID   AND   HER  CHILD.  143 

ing  they  were  found  in  their  usual  places,  so 
that  they  excited  no  suspicion.  Again  and 
again  they  set  out  and  returned,  and  were  so 
rewarded  for  their  exertions  by  the  wonders 
that  were  thus  revealed  to  them  that  they  grew 
elated  and  fearless  of  danger.  But  yet  no  in- 
formation concerning  the  other  worlds  was 
afforded  them,  and  they  began  to  despair  of 
learning  what  they  wished.  One  night,  how- 
ever, having  reached  the  point  where  their 
wanderings  usually  terminated,  Rqspnd  was 
about  to  go  back,  but  Corala  still  urged  him 
onward ;  and,  notwithstanding  his  misgivings, 
in  accordance  with  her  wishes,  he  emerged  with 
her  from  the  warm  and  cpiiet  waters  into  the 
dashing,  foaming  sea,  over  which  the  blue  sky 
and  stars  shone  clear  and  pure.  New  feelings 
filled  the  soul  of  Corala,  new  voices  were  speak- 
ing in  her  ears  ;  she  was  as  it  were  in  an 
ecstasy,  and,  wrapt  in  the  enjoyment,  she  for- 
got all  else  at  the  moment.  While  Rosond 
paused  at  her  request,  and  she  was  looking 
around,  she  espied  a  great  object  in  the  dis- 
tance that  riveted  her  whole  attention.    A  tiny 


144  THE   YULE   LOG. 

speck  on  the  water  seemed  to  be  following  it, 
like  a  bird  with  its  little  one  beside  it,  but  in 
truth  it  was  a  ship  far  off,  and  a  boat  which 
had  been  let  down  by  the  seamen,  one  of  whom 
from  the  deck  having  espied  through  a  glass 
what  seemed  to  be  a  maiden  riding  upon  the 
waves,  they  were  coming  to  satisfy  themselves 
concerning  this  strange  sight.  The  little  speck 
gradually  grew  larger  and  larger  as  it  came 
nearer  to  her,  till  it  at  last  it  looked  like  one  of 
her  own  tiny  islands  afloat  upon  the  waves,  with 
living  beings  upon  it.  She  held  her  breath 
lest  it  might  alarm  Rosond,  who,  bearing  her 
on  high  in  his  arms,  was  concealed  beneath  the 
waters,  and  saw  nothing  above  him.  Noise- 
lessly and  stealthily  the  boat  approached  her. 
Corala  perceived,  and  her  heart  bounded  at  the 
sight,  that  the  forms  of  the  creatures  that  were 
moving  within  were  like  her  own,  and  in  a 
moment  the  truth  darted  into  her  brain.  She 
was  not  then  an  isolated  being,  but  one  of  a 
race,  and  these  were  her  kindred.  How  her 
heart  yearned  towards  them  !  Their  gaze  was 
fascinated  on  their  leader,  as  cautiously  they 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  145 

floated  towards  her ;  no  sound  escaped  her  lips 
till  the  shriek  she  uttered  when  she  found  her- 
self torn  from  the  arms  of  Rosond,  and  borne 
away  within  the  hearing  of  his  cries — seeing 
him  beaten  back  by  the  oars,  as  he  vainly  en- 
deavored to  pursue  and  rescue  her,  till  at  last, 
fainting  with  affright,  she  became  unconscious 
of  all  that  passed.  When  she  was  restored  to 
herself  she  was  on  the  vessel,  which  was  bear- 
ing her  fast  away  from  all  that  she  had  known 
and  loved.  Most  pitiful  was  the  moaning  she 
made  as  the  tenants  of  the  ship  gathered 
around,  and  tried  in  vain  to  comfort  her.  She 
at  first  refused  all  consolation  ;  yet,  in  time,  as 
the  poignancy  of  her  grief  abated,  and  she 
looked  more  calmly  around,  she  felt  herself  in- 
spired with  a  new  and  more  powerful  interest 
in  life ;  every  glance  conveyed  intelligence  ; 
all  about  her,  like  herself,  were  reasoning  and 
thinking.  She  was  one  in  a  mass  of  souls,  and, 
though  she  could  not  comprehend  a  single 
word  they  uttered,  yet  their  expression  and 
gestures  conveyed  to  her  a  meaning  that 
she  could  well  interpret     When  they  reached 


146  THE  YULE   LOG. 

the  port  from  which  the  vessel  sailed,  the  news 
spread  afar  like  wildfire,  that  a  young  maiden 
of  great  beauty,  speaking  a  language  that  no 
one  understood,  had  been  rescued  from  the 
grasp  of  a  frighful  sea  monster,  so  that  many 
came  from  great  distances  to  see  her.  Among 
others  was  a  gentleman  and  lady  of  high  rank, 
who,  on  beholding  Corala,  were  so  impressed 
with  her  appearance,  that  they  determined  to 
take  her  home  with  them,  and  adopt  her  for 
their  own  daughter,  as  their  only  child  had 
been  lost  at  sea  years  before,  while  still  an 
infant,  and  strange  to  say,  if  she  had  lived, 
would  have  been  about  the  age  that  Corala 
now  appeared  to  be ;  and  stranger  still  it 
seemed,  when  it  was  made  known  that  Corala 
had  been  rescued  near  the  very  spot  where  the 
shipwreck  had  occurred  so  many  years  before ; 
and  to  their  redoubled  wonder,  the  likeness  of 
Corala  to  both  of  them,  was  remarked  by  many 
persons,  as  if  she  had  been  their  daughter  in- 
deed; so  that  the  mother  could  hardly  help 
feeling  that  their  child  had  been  saved  by  some 
good  spirit ;  nurtured  and  restored  to  her  again 


THE  MERMAID  AND    HER  CHILD.  147 

by  the  mercy  of  heaven.  But  as  this  would 
have  been  deemed  madness,  she  kept  her 
thoughts  to  herself,  and  only  revealed  them  to 
her  husband,  who,  like  her,  felt  as  if  heaven 
indeed  had  interposed  in  their  behalf,  and  that 
the  beautiful  girl  they  bore  to  their  pleasant 
home  was  their  lost  darling.  Corala  found  re- 
lief in  this  quiet  spot  by  the  seaside,  from  the 
noise  and  bustle  of  the  town,  the  confusion  of 
tongues,  and  the  curious  gazers  who  came  on 
board  the  ship  to  see  her.  Enraptured  with 
the  beauty  of  all  that  surrounded  her,  she 
would  have  been  most  happy  could  she  have 
forgotten  that  her  sea-mother  and  Rosond,  far 
away,  were  mourning  their  lost  one ;  and  she 
wept  in  bitterness  at  the  thought  that  she 
should  never  again  behold  those  who  loved  her 
so  dearly,  and  were  by  her  so  dearly  loved. 
Soon  by  the  care  and  patience  of  her  new-found 
mother  she  became  acquainted  with  the  names 
of  the  various  objects  that  she  saw  around,  and 
very  rapidly  she  learned  to  express  herself  in 
sentences.  At  last  she  could  relate  to  them 
the  tales  of  her  infancy,  of  her  cradle  on  the 


148  THE   YULE   LOG. 

sea-girt  isle,  of  her  sea-mother,  and  her  sea- 
brother,  that  she  longed  again  to  find.  They 
deemed  it  all  a  fantasy  of  her  imagination;  and 
she,  finding  how  little  faith  her  hearers  had  in 
her  representations,  kept  these  remembrances 
to  herself.  However,  they  only  grew  more 
vivid  from  being  thus  repressed,  and  were  still 
her  first  thoughts.  As  she  made  progress  in 
the  language,  she  was  taught  to  read,  and  grad- 
ually the  treasures  of  knowledge  were  un- 
folded to  her.  The  universe,  which  had  been  to 
her  sealed,  was  now  as  it  were  opening  before 
her;  she  began  to  unravel  its  mysteries,  and 
her  whole  being  expanded  in  the  genial  atmos- 
phere by  which  she  was  surrounded.  So  passed 
several  years,  but  time  did  not  efface  from  her 
memory  the  images  of  her  early  days ;  each 
new  joy  only  rendered  more  poignant  her  grief, 
that  the  companions  of  her  infancy  were  de- 
barred from  these  pleasures  to  which  she  had 
such  free  access.  Each  day  found  her  in  a 
favorite  seat  by  the  water-side,  looking  afar  at 
the  sea,  watching  it  toss  on  the  shore,  and  list- 
ening to  the  roar  of  its  waters,  as  if  such  sounds 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  149 

could  tell  her  the  fate  of  those  for  whom  her 
heart  yearned,  and  for  whom  every  night  she 
put  up  a  petition  to  heaven. 

And  now  let  us  leave  Corala  for  a  while,  and 
see  what  has  become  of  the  protectors  of  her 
helpless  infancy.  "When  Rosond,  after  giving 
up  all  hope  of  recovering  his  sister,  returned 
with  the  sad  news  to  his  mother  that  she  was 
lost  to  them,  in  a  frenzy  she  flew  hither  and 
thither.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  her  companions 
of  the  sea  learned  that  she  who  had  lived  for 
years  among  them,  whom  they  had  despised,  was 
one  of  those  immortal  natures  for  whom  they 
had  been  taught  such  veneration.  Rosond  also 
now  learned  his  sister's  history,  and  great  was 
his  grief  to  find  that  she  was  not  only  far  re- 
moved from  him  in  space,  but  was  also  above 
him  in  the  scale  of  being ;  yet  he  felt  he  could 
still  but  worship  her  as  he  had  ever  done.  The 
mermen  and  mermaids  at  first  pitied  Rosond 
and  his  mother ;  but  when  they  found  them 
ever  dwelling  upon  the  one  sad  theme,  nearest 
to  their  hearts,  they  forsook  them  for  more 
cheerful  companions,  till  they  were  left  at  last 


150  THE  YULE  LOG. 

to  wander  about  alone  together.  All  their  con- 
versation turned  upon  the  engrossing  topic — 
would  Ctorala  ever  again  be  restored  ?  At  last 
they  heard  of  an  old  wizard  of  the  sea,  who 
like  a  hermit  dwelt  in  a  cave  in  the  depths  of 
the  ocean,  and  who  was  said  to  have  the  power 
of  foretelling  future  events.  Together  they 
sought  his  dwelling-place,  which  for  an  age  he 
had  not  left.  The  door  was  guarded  by  two 
sea  monsters,  whose  eyes  glared,  as  the  two 
went  tremblingly  by,  but  they  only  opened 
their  terrific  jaws  to  shut  them  harmlessly 
again  ;  so  they  passed  safely  in.  Upon  a  heap 
of  sea-weed  piled  up  with  books,  on  which  was 
inscribed  strange  characters,  sat  the  wizard  of 
the  sea  ;  he  was  bent  and  wrinkled,  and  when 
they  told  him  their  errand  he  shook  his  briny 
locks,  muttered  strange  words,  and  taking  a 
curious  shell  in  his  hand,  placed  it  at  his  ear  and 
listened  long.  The  mermaid  fearfully  asked, 
66  shall  the  dear  child,  that  I  have  so  long  cher- 
ished and  loved  as  my  own,  ever  be  restored  to 
my  arms  ? "  He  paused,  with  the  shell  at  his 
ear,  and  then  made  answer— "  The  voices  of 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  151 

the  deep  wail  and  cry ;  she  can  never  more 
return  to  her  home  on  the  sea-girt  isle,  for  she 
is  a  mortal,  and  has  found  her  kind ;  be  there- 
fore content  and  go  in  peace  ;  seek  no  further 
into  the  hidden  things  of  the  future."  But 
they  still  lingered.  At  last  Rosond  spoke  and 
said :  "If  indeed  it  is  decreed  that  she  can  never 
return  to  us,  can  we  not  go  to  her,  and  again 
see  her  beautiful  countenance,  and  have  our 
hearts  cheered  by  the  music  of  her  loving 
voice  ? "  The  sage  turned  over  leaf  after  leaf, 
and  searched  into  the  mysterious  tomes,  till 
they  grew  weary  with  waiting,  yet  would  not 
depart  till  he  bade  them ;  so  much  did  they 
long  to  hear  what  fate  had  in  store  for  them ; 
while  he  seemed  as  it  were  to  be  dozing,  and 
then  at  last  unclosing  his  eyes,  he  sleepily 
muttered,  holding  a  shell  that  glowed  like 
living  fire  to  his  ear,  made  answer,  "  All 
things  are  possible  to  superhuman  power;  if, 
after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  you  can  find 
again  the  lost  one,  and  your  love  for  her  is  then 
as  strong  as  now,  and  she  is  able  to  reveal  to 
you  that  she  still  loves  you  as  in  days  gone  bye, 


152  THE   YULE   LOG. 

then  may  you  take  her  nature,  and  be  united 
to  her  again  ;  but  she  can  never  return  to  you 
while  you  are  of  another  race.  Hence !  no 
more  disturb  the  slumbers  of  the  aged,  who 
soon  shall  sleep  forever.  Then  he  fell  back 
and  relapsed  into  a  repose  so  deep,  that  they 
sought  no  more  to  arouse  him,  but  hand  in 
hand  passed  out  as  they  had  entered,  and  re- 
turned to  their  home  again. 

Here  they  related  to  their  companions  the 
words  of  the  wizard,  and  declared  their  inten- 
tion of  seeking  Corala,  and  endeavoring  to 
ascertain  if  she  still  loved  them  as  of  yore. 
The  mermen  and  mermaids  endeavored  to  dis- 
suade Rosond  and  his  mother  from  attempting 
what  must  be  a  fruitless  task.  "  For,"  said 
they,  "should  you  succeed  in  discovering 
whither  she  is  carried,  and  to  communicate 
with  her,  which  is  almost  an  impossibility,  how 
can  you  suppose  that  she  would  regard  you  as 
she  once  did  ?  Perhaps,"  said  they,  "  she  even 
now  remembers  with  a  shudder  the  friends 
of  her  former  days,  and,  happy  amid  her  own 
kindred,  strives  to  banish  all  thoughts  of  the 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  153 

repulsive  beings  whom  she  once  loved."  Though 
all  this  seemed  so  reasonable,  and  so  likely  to 
be  the  truth,  yet  Rosond  and  his  mother  had 
such  a  certain  conviction  of  the  intensity  of 
Corala's  attachment  to  themselves,  that  they 
even  dared  to  hope,  in  spite  of  all,  that  one  day 
they  might  be  united  to  her  again.  Their  com- 
panions used  all  their  arts  to  persuade  them  to 
abandon  these  hopes,  that  they  deemed  so  fal- 
lacious, and  to  leave  Corala,  and  return  again 
to  their  accustomed  sports.  But  no  words  could 
prevail  upon  them  to  give  up  the  search,  and, 
bidding  adieu  to  all  that  had  ever  known  them, 
they  set  off  together. 

On  their  voyage  over  the  wide  waste  of  waters 
the  spot  they  both  were  intent  on  seeking  was 
that  from  whence  Corala  had  been  borne  away, 
and,  when  found,  they  made  it  the  starting 
point  from  which  they  sailed  long  distances, 
only  to  return,  after  vain  efforts  to  gain  some 
clue  that  might  lead  them  in  the  direction  to 
find  her  once  more.  Months  and  even  years 
passed,  and  yet  no  success  had  attended  their 
wanderings ;  and,  almost  hopeless,  they  came 


154  THE  YULE  LOG. 

back  to  the  well-known  spot,  from  whence  all 
their  journeyings  had  proceeded.  One  day, 
while  hovering  around,  in  the  distance  they 
saw  an  object,  that  both  had  learned  to  know 
well — a  ship,  bearing  the  same  colors  as  that 
which  had  been  wrecked  before  the  eyes  of  the 
mermaid,  and  Rosond  also  marked  it  as  being 
like  the  vessel  which  had  borne  Corala  from 
them.  A  sudden  hope  darted  into  the  minds 
of  both.  Could  they  not,  by  following  it,  reach 
the  place  to  which  Corola  had  been  carried? 
It  probably  was  bending  its  course  in  the  same 
direction  as  the  other  ship  had  gone.  Day  after 
day  saw  them  in  this  hope,  tirelessly  pursuing 
the  vessel,  that,  like  a  leading  star,  pointed  out 
their  course. 

The  journey  seemed  almost  endless,  but  at 
last  the  scenes  began  to  change  before  their 
eyes  ;  the  broad  waste  of  waters  gradually  nar- 
rowed; and  seemed  to  be  bounded  by  land,  not 
in  small  islands,  like  dots  here  and  there,  as 
they  had  been  accustomed  to  see,  but  a  broad 
expanse,  even  as  the  ocean  itself,  over  wdiich 
the  eye  could  not  reach,  covered  with  a  gar- 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER  CHILD.  155 

ment  of  emerald,  where  stately  towers  and 
spires  rose  pointing  to  the  skies.  All  was  strange 
and  wonderful  to  them,  and  they  clung  to  each 
other,  and  kept  beneath  the  waters,  but.  still  in 
sight  of  the  vessel  that  had  led  them  on,  for 
they  felt  less  lonely  when  near  to  that  which 
had  so  long  been  as  a  beacon  before  them. 
The  ship  at  last  was  moored,  and  hidden  by 
some  rocks.  Rosond  and  the  mermaid  watched 
the  busy  crowds  who  came  flocking  down  to 
the  water,  to  welcome  the  friends  who  disem- 
barked from  the  decks.  There  were  among 
them  female  forms  who  moved  as  Corala  once 
had  done.  But  well  they  knew  she  was  not 
there,  nor  was  she  in  the  throng  that  flocked 
along  the  pier,  or  hung  over  the  sides,  day  after 
day.  They  floated  at  a  distance  from  the  shore, 
and  at  last,  going  out  of  sight  of  the  ship,  and 
sailing  with  swiftness  past  the  various  cities 
and  towns,  they  began  to  feel  the  very  hope- 
lessness of  their  ever  being  able,  amid  such 
myriads  of  living  creatures,  of  finding  her 
whom  they  sought.  Yet  Rosond,  although  in 
despair  of  gaining  the  object  of  his  search, 
longed  to  know  more  of  her  race,  and,  approach^ 


15G  THE   YULE  LOG. 

in£  as  near  the  land  as  he  dared  without  fear 
of  discovery,  contemplated  the  faces,  and  forms, 
and  movements  of  those  who  came  within  his 
sight. 

A  long  period  passed  in  this  manner,  and,  sick 
at  heart,  the  mother  and  son  one  evening, 
when  the  moon  was  shining  clearly,  left  behind 
them  all  the  noise  and  bustle  of  the  towns, 
and  followecl  the  current,  which  carried  them 
beside  a  peaceful  and  quiet  country.  At  last, 
as  daylight  passed  away,  they  floated  near  the 
shore,  where  a  castled  mansion  stood  on  a  hill 
alone,  overlooking  the  peaceful  waters.  The 
air  was  soft  and  balmy,  and  warm  as  that  of 
their  native  clime,  to  which  their  hearts  now 
sometimes  turned,  as  towards  a  haven  where 
they  might  find  rest.  They  gazed  in  wonder 
at  the  beauty  of  the  green  slope,  studded  here 
and  there  with  oases  of  flowers,  in  the  midst  of 
which  marble  fountains  threw  up  jets  of  water 
that  returned  to  bedew  all  around.  Gradually 
they  drew  nearer  to  the  bank  ;  the  serenity  of 
the  scene  inspired  them  with  a  calmness  and 
buoyancy  that  they  had  not  felt  for  many 
months.     All  at   once  a   strain  of  soft  music 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER   CHILD.  1ST 

burst  on  their  ears.  It  was  a  gentle  voice, 
accompanying  a  harp.  The  tones  seemd  to  call 
up  in  their  minds  thoughts  of  the  sea-girt  isle, 
and  the  song  of  the  birds  that  there  gladdened 
the  air,  and  the  gentle  tossing  of  that  summer 
sea,  and  the  murmurs  of  the  breeze  that  ever 
softly  sighed,  and  their  tears  streamed,  as  if 
melted  from  their  hearts,  at  the  sound.  Pres- 
ently a  white  figure  emerged  from  the  shadowy 
portal  of  the  mansion,  and,  like  an  angel  shiniug 
in  the  moonlight,  with  streaming  golden  hair 
and  light  footsteps,  came  flitting  down  the 
slope.  Their  hands  trembled  as  they  held  them 
"  together ;  their  hearts  beat  loudly,  for  they 
knew  this  was  Corala.  Noiselessly  they  sank 
below  the  surface,  as  she  came  nearer,  but  their 
keen  eyes  were  piercing  through  the  crystal, 
and  were  upon  her.  How  their  bosoms 
throbbed,  and  they  longed  to  rush  forward  and 
to  meet  her,  but  they  dared  not ;  she  would  flee 
in  her  terror  far  from  them.  Oh  !  they  felt  that 
the  words  which  had  been  spoken  to  them  by 
their  companions  must  be  true.  She  would 
shrink  from  them  if  they  were  to  reveal  them- 
selves to  her ;  they  would  be  regarded  as  mon- 


158  THE  YULE  LOG. 

sters  in  her  eyes.  Better  thus  to  watch  her, 
and  worship  her  at  a  distance,  than,  by  reveal- 
ing themselves  to  her,  lose  their  only  chance  of 
beholding  her  once  more.  Thus  they  thought, 
and  kept  silently  beneath  the  waters,  though, 
with  all  their  natures,  they  were  yearning  to 
embrace  her.  At  length  she  knelt  down,  and, 
bending  her  brow  till  it  touched  the  foam,  cried, 
"  Oh !  mother  and  brother  of  the  sea !  cannot 
these  waves,  that  so  ceaselessly  dash  upon  the 
shore,  bear  to  you  the  cries  of  your  mourning 
Corala  ?  and  tell  you  how  her  heart  still  longs 
for  you  with  unchangeable  love,  and  that  each 
night  she  puts  up  a  prayer  to  Heaven  that  you 
may  be  preserved  and  restored  to  her  ! " 

"With  one  impulsive  movement,  hand-in- 
hand,  the  mermaid  and  Rosond  rushed  forward. 
But,  oh  !  wonder  of  wonders  !  as  they  came  into 
the  shallow  waters  they  felt  themselves  rising 
erect,  with  limbs  and  feet,  upon  the  pebbly 
shore !  They  knew  then  that  the  prediction 
of  the  wizard  was  thus  verified :  they  had  loved 
each  other  to  the  end,  and  now  were  made 
partakers  of  the  same  natures.  With  a  cry  of 
joy  they  rushed   into   each   other's   embrace, 


THE   MERMAID  AND   HER   CHILD.  159 

when  words  and  explanations  followed.  Co- 
rala  led  up  the  steep  her  long-lost  sea-mother, 
with  her  gentle  voice,  and  mild  brow  and 
mien.  Proudly,  too,  she  watched  Rosond  mov- 
ing stately,  with  his  diadem  of  jewels  on  his 
lofty  brow,  his  garb  of  silken  weed  fluttering 
like  a  scarf  of  honor  from  his  shoulders,  and 
looking  like  a  royal  prince. 

The  lord  and  lady  of  the  castle  received 
with  joy  the  long-lost  friends  of  their  adopted 
child,  and  welcomed  them  to  the  mansion. 
After  arraying  them  in  garments  befitting  their 
dignity,  they  presented  them  to  their  servants 
and  retainers.  Corola  saw  no  reason  to  blush 
for  them,  the  avowed  guardians  of  her  youth. 

During  the  time  that  Rosond  and  his  mother 
remained  as  inmates  of  the  mansion  the  lord 
and  lady  learned  of  a  certainty  that  this  was, 
indeed,  as  they  had  long  hoped  and  expected, 
their  long-lost  daughter ;  and,  though  wonder- 
ful as  was  the  tale  of  her  rescue,  and  of  her  life 
on  the  isles  of  the  sea,  and  of  the  transforma- 
tion of  the  mermaid  and  Rosond,  yet  they  be- 
lieved all,  and  received  her  as  their  own  with 
all  the  faith  of  innocent  hearts. 


160  THE  YULE  LOG. 

Hosond,  by  the  sale  of  the  jewels  worn  by 
his  mother  and  himself,  which  were  almost  of 
a  priceless  value,  realized  an  immense  fortune, 
and  purchased  a  castle  within  a  short  distance 
of  that  of  the  parents  of  Corala,  to  which  he 
took  his  mother  to  reside.  Here,  by  the  assist- 
ance of  masters,  he  rapidly  acquired  the  lan- 
guage, and  all  those  arts  which, were  befitting 
a  young  gentleman  of  distinction.  He  became 
one  of  the  most  accomplished  courtiers  of  that 
period,  and  soon,  by  the  consent  of  her  parents, 
was  betrothed  to  Corala,  with  whom  he  spent 
much  of  his  time.  After  a  short  space  had 
elapsed,  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  a 
manner  befitting  the  rank  of  both,  and  thus 
Corala  became,  indeed,  the  child  of  her  who 
had  once  been  her  adopted  mother.  She  di- 
vided her  time  between  her  two  homes,  making 
all  happy,  and  seeing  their  children  grow  up 
around  them. 

Rosond  and  Corala  never  regretted  having 
loved  through  all  difficulties,  and  to  the  end. 


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